SEASES OF THIS PART OF AFRICA, TREATMENT, HYGIENE, ALIMENT

Diseases, Face of the Country, Spring Water

The diseases in this part of Africa are still more simple than those of
Liberia; and even the _native fever_, for known causes, generally is
much less severe. In Liberia, and all that part of Africa, the entire
country (except the cleared farms in the republic and the limited
rice-fields of the natives) is a dense, heavy-wooded, _primitive_
forest, rank with the growth and putrified vegetation of a thousand
ages. But the entire Aku country, throughout the second plateau,
presents a very different phase. Here, one is struck with the beautiful
clear country which continually spreads out in every direction around;
and (except the thickets or forests left as defences, ambuscades, and
arbors of rest, rugged hilltops, and gullies), there is nothing but
recent timber to be found growing on the lands. Timber in Africa is
reproduced very speedily; hence may be found in some parts designedly
left very heavy timber; but the greatest unbroken forest through which
we passed at any one time, of this description, never exceeded, I think,
ten miles. All the spring (shallow wells generally) and other living
water, as perennial streams, is both good-tasted, and if the constant
use of running stream water be a fair test, I would decide as wholesome.
There are some good springs in Africa, and good water doubtless may
everywhere be obtained by digging suitable wells.

To Keep Water Cool. Kind of Vessels

Drinking water in the tropics should always be kept in large vessels of
crockery ware (usually termed "stone" and "earthen ware") and smaller
bottle or decanter-shaped jugs or vessels for table convenience. If
earthen or crockery ware cannot be obtained for table use, by all means
use glass bottles--the more globular, or balloon-shaped, the better.

Cool Water

To make and keep water cool in any crockery or glass vessel, wrap around
it a cloth or any kind, but especially _woolen_--flannel or blanket
being the best--which keep simply _wet_, and the water in the vessel, by
_evaporation_ from the _cloth_, can be made or kept almost ice cool.

To Keep the Cloth Wet. Apparatus

A most simple method by which the cloth may be kept wet, and evaporation
thereby kept up, is to have a large vessel, with the water in for common
use, so placed that a small vessel with water can be suspended over it
in such a manner that a _drip_ can b