What I saw on the west coast of South and North America, and at the Hawaiian Islands.: By H. Willis Baxley, M.D.

VOYAGE FROM NIEW YORK TO ASPINWALL. It should not excite surprise that passengers who are guilty of such indiscretions, with that, commonly superadded, lingering long and sometimes sleeping on deck during a greater part of the night in the tropics, should have dangerous illness to ensue; especially, when in disembarking, often homesick and dispirited, they indulge in the excessive use of unaccustomed fruits, and become enfeebled by the intensity of the land heat. The observance of customary habits, when these are conformable to temperance, and the avoidance of unseasonable exposure, fatigue, and that undue excitement which results in indirect debility, will contribute much to prevent the ill effects of the numerous agencies of mischief ever in activity in tropical regions. And attention to these rules, before and during a voyage, will prevent or aid the recovery from sea-sickness; relief from which may also to some extent be had by occupying the waist of the ship, especially at the commencement of a voyage, this part not being subjected to extremes of motion like the bow and stern. Attention should also be given to reading, and even to writing, if practicable, to avoid looking at the pitching and rolling of the vessel, more palpably indicated when measured by surrounding objects. It is sufficiently distressing to realize these motions when sitting on deck, without magnifying through the eye their effects on the brain, and through it aggravating also these on the stomach. Mental occupation will preclude, too, to some extent, apprehensions of evil, which cannot but aggravate the reality that must come sooner or later to nearly all. The maintenance of a quiet position by reclining is comforting, and cannot be avoided in severe cases. But the voyager must accustom himself to the ship's motion at last, and the sooner he essays to'o this in the open air, and by moderate approaches, the earlier will he secure comfort and acquire the privilege of personal locomotion. Violent cases of gastric irritation and vomiting may require a resort to anodynes or sedatives. Among the most valuable and safe of the latter, is ice. The ship's surgeon should be consulted in the use of others. If none be on board, a person's customary dose of laudanum, morphia, chlorodine, or prussic acid, may be resorted to; and good brandy will be found a usefuil stimulant. Even in sickness, ice cannot be had on board this steamer, ex 21

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Title
What I saw on the west coast of South and North America, and at the Hawaiian Islands.: By H. Willis Baxley, M.D.
Author
Baxley, Henry Willis, 1803-1876.
Canvas
Page 21
Publication
New York,: D. Appleton & company,
1865.
Subject terms
South America -- Description and travel
California -- Description and travel
Hawaii -- Description and travel

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"What I saw on the west coast of South and North America, and at the Hawaiian Islands.: By H. Willis Baxley, M.D." In the digital collection Making of America Books. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/abf7940.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 23, 2025.
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