i6o 
Diseases of Hayti. 
The typhus icterodes, or yellow fever of the West Indies, 
may he considered to be a remittent-bilious, inflammatory fever, 
of insidious typhoid tendency, and is most intolerant towards the 
unacclimated white blood of Northern countries; its malignity 
is to be dreaded, most especially by those of plethoric, ardent, 
and irritable habits. The strong and vigorous, the uncleanly 
and intemperate, are most liable to the disease, when they fall 
under its influence in the West Indies. 
Of the several maritime, commercial ports of Hayti, that of 
Port-au-Prince has acquired great notoriety on account of the 
predominance there of the yellow fever at certain periods. This 
is not to be denied. But there are aggravating circumstances 
connected with it that have been seldom examined and classed 
as such, if not the primary exciting causes of the sickness which 
so often prevails among foreign shipping in the harbor of Port- 
au-Prince, as well as in the ports of some other islands, reputed 
to be equally the seats of yellow fever. The foreign vessels that 
frequent annually this harbor, with the exception of two or 
three regular traders, acting as packets, are all of the worst 
class, in respect to those arrangements necessary to preserve 
health in a hot country. They are most unwholesome, generally, 
in their interior conditions, — the pervading atmosphere of their 
holds, or lower-decks, being essentially mephitic. Such vessels, 
for the most part, are taken up, no doubt, more on account of 
the cheapness of freight, than of their sanitary condition; in 
addition to which, they are managed by mariners of different 
nations, who habitually are filthy in their persons, reckless, and 
most intemperate in character and habits, and whose quarters 
on shipboard, and mode of living in them, are better calculated 
to engender than to prevent disease within the tropics. If, be¬ 
sides this, we notice with regard to their manner of clothing, 
and kind and quality of food, that nothing is changed from what 
they were in frigid climates, it will scarcely be a matter of sur¬ 
prise that so many of that class of men fall victims when at- 
