The men that were brought from the ships to the hospitals were affected with the disease in various stages; but as we had in general a very inaccurate history of the several cases, the method of treatment upon their first admission was pretty nearly the same in all; and it consisted, in the first place, in washing their face, hands, feet, and legs, with warm water and vinegar, from which they derived the greatest comfort, being commonly very dirty. There ought to be a [96]warm bath at every naval hospital kept in constant readiness; for there are so few conveniences on board of a ship for preserving bodily cleanliness among the sick, that the surface of the body becomes loaded with filth, so that the operation of the warm bath could not fail to be highly comfortable and salutary as the first step to their cure when brought on shore. We had generally very indistinct information about the state of their bowels, as well as other circumstances, on account of their delirium; but it was at any rate useful, or at least safe, to give them a clyster. They were enjoined plentiful dilution; and if they were low, some wine and water was allowed. In the evening, the anodyne diaphoretic medicine was administered, and a blister applied to some part of the body. In consequence of this method, we seldom failed to find the patients better next morning; and it was tried in such numbers, that the efficacy of it was sufficiently ascertained. It happened in some cases, that these means were omitted, and a comparison of these with the others served to ascertain the true efficacy of the medicines; the stationary state of the symptoms, when the disease was thus left to itself, sufficiently proving the propriety of the treatment above described. It is an important question to what circumstances of this fever the Peruvian bark is adapted. An early and indiscriminate use of it is recommended in some late publications, upon the authority of which I tried it without regard to the stages or symptoms, and without any prejudice either for or against the practice; but I found that this powerful remedy was in danger of doing much harm, unless great attention was paid to circumstances, in order to ascertain the proper seasons for giving it. The symptoms that forbid the use of bark are chiefly foul bowels, hard pulse, sizy blood, great delirium, dry tongue, a hot and dry skin, and inflammatory affections of the viscera. It was found extremely pernicious in an early stage of the disease previous to evacuations; and the object of practice at this time should be to relieve the habit by means of these, in order to produce a general relaxation of the secretions, and to render the skin cool and soft, thereby paving the way for the bark.