the disease and-situattons, where it is common, had beenthesuhject of
inquiry,-6r awakened tte attentten of any able practitioner, we should
have héén long-Since «nadeceaved;in’tiiis respect. On the coast .of
Greenland, - the «mountainous parts .of Wales and -Scotland, where
melted snow must be continually: passing into their rivers and streams,
the disease is'not -known, i though it is common tip'Derbyshire, anti
seme other .parts of England. Rungpore is about one hundred .miles
from the toot of the (hills, and much farther from the snow, yet the
disease, is as frequent there as in Boutan. ilri. Thibet, where .snow .is
never out of view, and is the principal source of. all their rivers and
streams, the disease is not.to.be m et-with; »but what puts the matter
past a doubt, iisithe'fr&quenc^-ef the disease on the
where snow is never to be. found. On'finding the vegetable productions
of Boutan the same as those of the Alps, in almost ,evpry instance,
it occurred to me,:that the disease might arise from an impreg-
nation of the water by these .plants, or the soil probably possessing
similar, qualities, the spontaneous productions of both countries, with
very few exceptions, .being so -nearly .alike* It, .however, appears
more probable, that the disease is endemial,; proceeding -from a peculiarity
in the air of situations in the vicinity of mountains, with such
soil and vegetable productions. I am the more inclined to think so,
as I have universally found this disease-most prevalent amongst the
lower class of people, and those who are most exposed to the unguarded
influence of the weather, and various changes that take place
in the air of such situations. The primary cause in the atmosphere
producing this effect, is perhaps not more inexplicable, than, what we
meet with in the; lowland® ofrEisex;, amdnthe fomt in Diócotosfaitp.-i Ab
abcprate aaalysisiefehe water usqdi in common byfthe natives, whet©
this disease.is more .or: less ■ frequent, and whf^&ïb .iSvRPJ; known fr*
similar :exposures, mights throw som® light èsethistSWbject» 11
ThistveryiUrtraordiHary diseatltbas ?bsfui bttlfti#t®n4^d% from
obvious .-reasons; it is i unaccompanied > with pain, is seldomfatal, and
generally-;cnnfiheddo the . poorer sort of .people, Thai tumour is unr.
sightly, and -gwsws ’to a.tE®Mbles^a§ ,sia^ bpingjioffgnj a$f largpi a§.a,
person’s, head. Jt is. ceptainly nQt!e^gggeEattog^tesa,y,;that.pne! in sbf,
of the Rungpor* district and country.of boutan, has .this .di&ea^e, , .!
As those who labour most, and are the least, protected from the
changes of the-weatherv.are- most subject* the , We universally
find.it in Boutan, more common with thn<wGffioutt#Pï P > » It
generally.appears in Boutan at the age o-f-thirteep oK,fourteeps,and in
Bengal at the age of eleven or twelve; so that in.both couairipy the
disease shows- itself about thf- age of puberty, I do ?pqtf b!#ieyp*this
disease has ever been removed, though a merepria} cpui^e s.epmed ,tp
cheek its . progress, but did. not pavent its - adyance^a^ter . jpterfpittm-S
the use ofimercury. An attfiitton tp the.primary.'pa^ei will -fi^lkf^d
to a proper:method of treating the;disease; a change, of. situation, for
a short while, at. that particular: period when it appears, might he the-
means of preventing it.
The people ofthis happyclimate are not exempt from the venereal
disease, which seemsto rag§-.wifo;Unrcmlt>ingjhR?y-l,U.all ?lhn$t£$, ah4
proves, the. greatest scourge- to. the- human race. It has - bpeji lopg a
matter ofidoubt, whether this disease has eyer beep curqd by any