Medical and topographical observations upon the Mediterranean; and upon Portugal, Spain, and other countries / by G.R.B. Horner.
- G. R. B. Horner
- Date:
- 1839
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Medical and topographical observations upon the Mediterranean; and upon Portugal, Spain, and other countries / by G.R.B. Horner. Source: Wellcome Collection.
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![CLIMATE OF CADIZ, 6] medicine and surgery of the kingdom, and the vice president is Don Ignacio Ameller, professor exempt of the ccllege, master consultor of the navy, and knight of the royal American order of Isabella the Catholic. I will say no more respecting this academy, inasmuch as I shall write of all the academies in Spain under one head; and as this will be included among them it is unnecessary to state any- thing more about it at this time. Much more might be said concerning the public institutions of Cadiz; but as the account given is already too long, I will ter- minate by some remarks on its climate and diseases. Climate.—Notwithstanding the frequent storms occurring, the salubrity of the air is unquestionably very great. Situated in a temperate latitude, upon the extremity of a peninsula stretching out into the Atlantic, enjoying that equality of temperature peculiarly maritime, having no lofty, snow-clad mountains to throw down their chilling blasts, no marshes in the vicinity to infect the atmosphere with their noxious exhalations, and being fanned by every breeze which blows from the land or from the ocean.—Cadiz may be said to have the best of climates, and most delightful situation. To know what the condition of her citizens is with regard to health, nothing more is required than to look at them, and especially at those of the fair sex. Their graceful, finely propor- tioned figures, their brilliant black eyes, glossy hair, fair and ruddy complexions, cheerful. countenances, and elastic gait, all indicate them to be free of disease, and to have been nurtured ina salubrious atmosphere. They have the traces of Spanish beauty conjoined with those of American, and want that sallow aspect.indicative of Moorish extraction, and generally possessed by the inhabitants of Spain and Portugal. Their remarkable beauty, nevertheless, must not be ascribed entirely to the climate; something is due to the plan of the city, the commodiousness of the houses, to clothing, to provision, and the benefit derived from good society, exercise, and amusement, particularly of dancing, of which they are ex- cessively fond, and indulge in no little during cold weather. But during carnival they carry these amusements rather to ex- cess, and, spending most of the night in going from house to house to enjoy them and the masquerades, injure rather than benefit their health. Few cities are more abundantly supplied with wholesome provisions than this; meat of every sort is plen- tiful and cheap, considering the civil war prevailing; fish of nearly every kind, as the flounder, tunney, hollybut, bonita, pike, and a large one like our rock, but of a reddish colour and with a larger head, are to be found at market every afternoon, in the greatest abundance, unless the weather is so stormy as to prevent the fishing boats from going out in the morning. The bread used is both leavened and kneaded, and of most un- common whiteness and sweetness, owing, it is said, to the wheat being picked with the fingers, and freed of every impurity and all 6%](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b33291962_0069.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
