Hints to Travellers, Scientific and General, Vol. 2 / Tenth edition, revised and corrected

by Royal Geographical Society

A word as to the use of a flannel cholera belt, about which opinions differ. Experience in many tropical countries leads the writer to recommend its use at night, and at night only. Even so, it is unnecessary and uncomfortable in places where the nights are invariably hot and steamy, and is chiefly of value in dry, desert climates where there is a great difference between the day and night temperatures.

Effects of the Sun.—It is difficult to overestimate the importance of the protection of the head from the direct rays of the sun. It is best, where possible, to avoid going out in the heat of the day, but where this is necessary the head should be protected by a suitable helmet, which should be light in weight and colour, which should be ventilated, and which should have a good protection for the back of the head. A large green leaf inside the helmet might be an additional protection, and a sun umbrella should also be used wherever practicable. A helmet should as a rule be worn when going out during the day-time in the tropics. Sometimes, however, the helmet is found very troublesome, as, for example, by the sportsman in the bush. He may then have recourse to a double Terai hat, or even to an ordinary wide-brimmed felt hat provided he inserts a crumpled-up handkerchief in its crown. This will usually afford a reasonable protection.

Errors of Diet.—The lassitude which is often so much felt by Europeans resident in the tropics too frequently tempts them to the abuse of alcoholic stimulants and highly-spiced foods. The habit is a most pernicious one, for such indulgence is one of the most fruitful causes of the permanent ill-health so often wrongly attributed to the mere residence in a hot climate. There is no doubt that food should be taken with greater moderation in hot than in cold climates; heat-producing articles of diet, such as fat, should be taken in far smaller quantity, but an ample supply of vegetables is essential. The meals should never be heavy, especially during the heat of the day, and intervals of about four hours should always separate consecutive meals.

Cooking should always be conducted with great care in the tropics, for the stomach and liver are less able to bear any extra strain, such as would be induced by the attempt to digest imperfectly-cooked food. Parasites are often introduced into the system by insufficiently cooked food.

Natural milk must be boiled; condensed milk should be mixed with boiled water.

Excess in the use of alcoholic stimulants is one of the most fatal errors into which the tropical resident can fall, and their habitual use as beverages is totally unnecessary, tea, coffee and cocoa being the best beverages for ordinary use. A small supply of brandy, champagne, and port wine may be of service in certain cases of illness, but they are better regarded as belonging strictly to the medical equipment.

Avoid native drinks, as they will probably have been diluted with dirty water, or prepared in unclean vessels.

Great moderation in the use of alcohol is quite as necessary in arctic as in tropical climates. In the latter no alcohol should be taken till the sun has set, and even then the quantity should be strictly limited. There is no reason why a glass of light beer, a whisky and soda, or a little light wine should not be drunk with the evening meal. Alcohol taken at this time often promotes appetite and aids digestion, but alcohol between meals is bad, chiefly perhaps because the habit of exceeding the daily allowance is thereby apt to be engendered. It is largely a question of self-control, and it must be remembered that in the tropics self-control, so far as drinks are concerned, is very apt to weaken. Apart from the question of its habitual use alcohol is often of great service as a restorative, as, for example, after a fatiguing march, and especially if one has got wet and chilled. Champagne is possibly the best form to take on such occasions and it should be used as an apéritif or drunk along with food.

Risks due to Drinking Water.—The use of water for drinking purposes must be attended with great care in all tropical climates. As the water of the lakes, streams and pools of these countries usually contains a large proportion of impurities, and the germs or parasites of many diseases, it should be strained and subsequently boiled before being used.