c h a P. This, in fréquent inftances, has driven them to diftrac-
t - tion, and been the caufe of many murders.
It is in confequence o f théfe 'Complicated evils, that fo
many alfo" deftroy fhemfelves by fuicide^ run away to the
woods to join their countrymen in rebellion, or’ i f they
Ray, grow fad and fpiritlefe, and languilh under difeafes,
the eflfeéts o f bad ufage;fuchas thejoïa, which is a white
fcorbutic fpot that externally covers the body. The craffy*
trajjy, or itch, which with ns <bmes from poornefs o f
diet, is o f courfe very common with them* The-ytfm?, a
moft difagreeahle diforder, by many compared to the venereal
di&afie, which renders the pâïàent à fhoôkïfîg fpeéi
rade, all covered over with yellow ulcers. To this 1 aft-
mentioned loàthfome malady moft nêgroê^ ahe^jfa^eÆfcj
yet but only .onde in their lives, in which, and bCinguvery
infectious, ; it refemhfes thé IfimftipQijts indeed ifth: fly
which has been feeding jupon. tire ddfcafed f and they art
generally covered with them) lights upon the iligbteft
fcratch on a healthy perfon,” it cornmnnitptos:#his dr(ead-
ful diforder, whkb always confines. :him for fevera!
months. The moft general cure for the yaws! in Surinam,
is faliVation and fpare diet, with continuai exercife
to promote perfpiration. ; and, during this procefs, the
poor wretches abfolutely look like decayed •carcafes. J
Still more dreadful is the bmjfy^ or leprtify, which is
deemed incurable : the face and limbs in this complaint
fwéll, and the whole body'is; covered with fcales and ulcers;
the breath Rinks, the hair falls off, the fingers and
toes
E X P E D I T I O N TO S U R I N A M . 275
toes becorpe putrid, and. drop away joint after joint. Thé
worft of which is, that though the difeafe is hopelefs, the
unhappy fufferer may linger fometimes for many years.
The lepers are naturally lafcivious, and the difeafe being
infectious, they are of neceffity feparated from all foc.iety,
and condemned to a perpetual exile in feme remote corner
of the plantations. .
The clabba-yaws, or tubbóes.is. alfo .a. very troublefome
and tedious, diforder ; it oceaflons painful fores &boiit the
feet,; moftly in the foies, between the £kin and the flefh.
The ufual remedy in this cafe; is, to burn oiit the morbid
part With a réd-hot iron, or cut it out with a lancet; and
then the warm juice of roafted limes is introduced into the
wound, though wfth great pain yet with great fuccefs.
...lThe African negroes are alfo fubje# to many fpecies
„of worms, both extraneous and internal, owing to the
wading much in ftagnated waters, and to the crudity of
their dief. Of the former fpeejes is the Guinea or tape*
worm? which breeds between the Ikin and the flefti, and
is fometimes two yards in length, of a ihining filvery colour,
and not thicker than the fecond firing of a bafs-
viol. It oceafions dangerous and painful fwellings where-
ever it inferts itfelf, which is moftly about the legs. The
' method of cure, to fei^e the head of the worm when
it appears above the ikin, and extra# it by winding it
gently round a ftick or card; this operation cannot be
performed with too much caution, for if it breaks, the
N n a lofs