Page:Mexico as it was and as it is.djvu/33

Thus, allowing the population of Vera Cruz to be about 6,500 (which I consider quite liberal,) you will perceive that one-sixth of the whole died in the course of the year; of this, one-sixth—about an equal proportion—perished from vomito. The excess of burials over baptisms is 563. Diarrhœa, dysentery and vomito are the most fatal maladies. In 1842, I am told that near 2000 died of vomito in Vera Cruz. This, however, was owing to the number of raw troops sent there from the interior, to be embarked for Yucatan. It is to be regretted, that I have no data from which I can inform you what is the relative proportion of the deaths among natives and foreigners, and of those who visit Vera Cruz from the interior. It has struck me, nevertheless, that this document will be interesting to medical readers.

It will be observed from the following table, that the amount of water which has fallen in each year, very far exceeds the quantity known to fall annually in any part of the United States. With us it scarcely exceeds four feet. It is not, however, difficult to account for the difference. Vera Cruz, situated at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico, backed by a lofty range of mountains rising beyond the limits of perpetual congelation, must necessarily be the recipient of the immense body of water held in solution by the hot intertropical air, and which is constantly carried along by the trade-winds, to be condensed against the cold mountains. This will sufficiently account for the fact; although we were far from being prepared to expect its nature and extent to be such as is here stated.

			Feet.Inch
In the year	1822	there fell,	13,	1.5	in the	12	months.
	1823		15,	8.9		"
	1824		10,	8.1		"
	1825		10,	7.1		"
	1826[1]		5,	4.4		"
	1827		21,	2.8		10
	1828		12,	2.0		12
	1829		23,	2.3		"
	1830		18,	0.0		"

1. This year was remarkably dry: and moreover characterized by universally severe weather upon the coast, and a great destruction of shipping property.