The principal diseases of this district are intermittent and malignant fevers, especially at the beginning and towards the end of the rainy season. Ophthalmia and its consequences, as well as syphilis and its effects, are also very common, and yearly produce many miserable objects. Nearly the whole of the inhabitants are affected with goître, and children are frequently born with it, even strangers who come to reside in the Villa and neighbourhood, are sure to become affected with it in the course of a few years. Some ascribe it to the use of the sea salt brought from Pará, the people having previously been accustomed to the use of that they obtain from the soil in the neighbourhood, which is impregnated with salt; others say that it is caused by the waters from the Serra, which in the dry season particularly are a little saline. Whatever the cause may be, all seemed to agree both here, and at Almas, that it is only within the last twenty years that it has become so prevalent among them: I found it quite as frequent at Conceição and Arrayas, two towns further to the south, at which places the waters are also saline, especially those flowing from the limestone mountains. All the places where I have seen it prevail, lie along the eastern base of the Serra Geral, a broad mountain chain, which divides the province of Goyaz from those of Pernambuco and Minas Geräes; burnt sponge is the only remedy they employ against it. They have, however, recourse to another method, in which they put great faith; this is a small piece of cord taken to a church, and cut exactly the length of the image of the crucifixion which they wear round their necks. I made enquiries of several who wore this kind of charm, whether they imagined it produced any effect on the swelling, but, as was to be expected, they all confessed that it not only failed in curing it, but in no way prevented it from increasing in size.