th
is as quickly restored. It had long been observed that those who were
stationed for any length of time in one spot, and lived sedentary lives,
suffered more from fever than others who moved about and had both mind
and body occupied; but we could not all go in the small vessel when she
made her trips, during which the change of place and scenery proved so
conducive to health; and some of us were obliged to remain in charge of
the expedition's property, making occasional branch trips to examine
objects of interest in the vicinity. Whatever may be the cause of the
fever, we observed that all were often affected at the same time, as if
from malaria. This was particularly the case during a north wind: it was
at first commonly believed that a daily dose of quinine would prevent the
attack. For a number of months all our men, except two, took quinine
regularly every morning. The fever some times attacked the believers in
quinine, while the unbelievers in its prophylactic powers escaped.
Whether we took it daily, or omitted it altogether for months, made no
difference; the fever was impartial, and seized us on the days of quinine
as regularly and as severely as when it remained undisturbed in the
medicine chest, and we finally abandoned the use of it as a prophylactic
altogether. The best preventive against fever is plenty of interesting
work to do, and abundance of wholesome food to eat. To a man well housed
and clothed, who enjoys these advantages, the fever at Tette will not
prove a more formidable enemy than a common cold; but let one of these be
wanting--let him be indolent, or guilty of excesses in eating or
drinking, or have poor, scanty fare,--and the fever will probably become
a more serious matter. It is of a milder type at Tette than at
Quillimane or on the low sea-coast; and, as in this part of Africa one is
as liable to fever as to colds in England, it would be advisable for
strangers always to hasten from the coast to the high lands, in order
that when the seizure does take place, it may be of the mildest type.
Although quinine was not found to be a preventive, except possibly in the
way of acting as a tonic, and rendering the system more able to resist
the influence of malaria, it was found invaluable in the cure of the
complaint, as soon as pains in the back, sore bones, headache, yawning,
quick and sometimes intermittent pulse, noticeable pulsations of the
jugulars, with suffused eyes, hot skin, and fo