Persons laboring under fever should eat moderately of such food as best
agrees with their appetite; but frequently, if required or desired,
that the system may be well supported. When there is _diarrhoea_ or
_dysentery_ present, there should be no solid food taken, but the
patient or ailing person should be confined strictly to a thin milk
porridge of fine Guinea-corn flour, which is always obtainable in
Africa, crumbled crackers or soda biscuits, light (leavened) wheat bread
if to be had, or well-done rice boiled to a pulp. The soda-biscuit as a
porridge with milk rather aggravates the bowels of most persons;
therefore, whenever it is found to have this effect, its use should be
immediately abandoned. In many instances, where there is either
diarrhoea or dysentery present, without other prominent symptoms, I have
found the mere use of cooked milk (merely "scalded," as women usually
term it--being heated to the boiling point without permitting it to
boil), taken as food alone, to be the only remedy required.
Hygiene--Eating
The laws of health should be particularly observed in going to Africa.
In respect to eating, there need be no material change of food, but each
individual observing those nourishments which best agree with him or
her. When there is little inclination to eat, eat but little; and when
there is none, eat nothing. I am certain that a large percentage of the
mortality which occurs may be attributed to too free and too frequent
indulgence in eating, as was the case with the Lewis family of five at
Clay-Ashland, in Liberia--all of whom died from that cause; as well as
others that might be mentioned.
Coffee, Air, Fruits
So soon as you have taken your bath and put your morning wrapper, even
before dressing, you may eat one or more sweet oranges, then take a cup
of coffee, creamed and sweetened, or not, to your taste. Make your
toilet, and walk out and take the cool air, always taking your umbrella
or parasol, because no foreigner, until by a long residence more or less
acclimated, can expose himself with impunity to a tropical sun. If
preferred coffee should always be taken with cream or milk and sugar,
because it is then less irritating to the stomach. One of the symptoms
of native fever is said to be _nervous irritability of the stomach_;
hence, all exciting causes to irritation of that part should be avoided
as much as possible. Such fruits as best agree with each individual
should be most indulged in; indeed, all others for the time should be
dispensed with; and when it can be done without any apparent risk to the
person, a little fruit of some kind might be taken every day by each new
comer. Except oranges, taken as directed above, all fruits should be
eaten _after_, and _not_ before breakfast. The fruits of the country
have been described in another place.
Drinks
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