MEMOIR 
OX THE 
SALUBRITY 
OF THE 
ISLE OF PINES. 
BY 
I>r. DON JOSE l>i: TiA LUZ HERNANDEZ, 
Physician and Surgeon of the Royal House of JBenefi- 
eencia and Foundling Hospital, 
Member of the Inspection of Studies of the 
Islands of Cuba, Porto 
Rico, etc. 
ZEE-A-'V-A-irsr.A.: 
FOREIGN PRINTING-OFFICE, 
No. 10 EMPEDRADO STREET. 
1 8 6 7. REPORT 
ON THE 
Ijirgimic-ltlcdirinal §ppHRs 
OF THE 
©Slaters anti temperature 
O F 
®he fslaml of i-inrs 
(M tie 'i’ino.o.) 
HAVANA: 
MERCANTILE PRINTING-OFFICE, 
NO. 10 EMPEDRADO STREET 
1 867. The Hydrology, il* not entirely unknown, at least very 
far remoted from the place which belongs to it, as well in 
Hygieny as in Therapeutics which, on account of its in- 
fluence and importance, could not procure the benefits 
which are reserved to the same in practical medecine, and 
being al ready as it ought to be, an i ntegral part of the same, 
and a speciality assigned to it, it becomes its duty to 
answer to the following interpellation, which might be 
made amongst many others. 
A certain chronical disease being specified, for the cure 
of which mineral waters are considered to be prescribed, 
to determine which of these should be preferred. This is 
the problem which the practical medical man has to solve. 
And as to obtain this end, it is necessary that besides the 
chemical knowledge of the water and the topography of 
its source, he should be acquainted with its practical 
effects, I have thought it to be a professional duty to 
make known to the scientific men, and especially to the 
doctors of North and South America, the riches and im- 
portance of the springs of medicinal waters which have 
their source in the bosom of an island, situated according to 
Lanier, between 21° 27' 25" and 21° 38' 17" Northern lat- 
itude, and 76° IT 11" and 76° 52' 52" of longitude West 
of the meridian of Cadiz, and on the shores of which Co- 
lumbus landed, on his return from this island to Santo Do- 
mingo, to provide himself with wood and water, as there 
was nothing else, christening the same afterwards by the 
name of Evangelista, although the Indians called it $7- 
guanea. But as in its Northern part, the pine trees are so 
abundant that not only the plains but even the hills are 
covered with them, since the time the same was taken 
possession of and visited by our forefathers, on account per- 
haps of the multitude of those trees, and not knowing or 4 
not taking notice of those names, they called it Island of 
Pines, under which name we know the same to day. 
This Island of Pines, to speak properly, is separated 
from what is called Punta del Este, not only by the sea 
which washes the shores of both on the spot in which they 
appear to be united only by a ridge called Cayo de Piedra, 
but also by its aspect, its soil, its mineral and vegetal pro- 
ducts, and above alb its geogenical constitution and the 
epoch of its formation. 
This arm of the sea which separates the two islands, 
connected only, as said before, by a key distant more than 
a mile from either of them, is what is known at present by 
the name of Cffinega de la Siguanea. 
The lirst named or Island of Pines, to judge from its 
aspect, appears to have been a volcanic formation, which in 
the course of time, with the residue of the hills, and the 
sediments sf the sea, has given origin to the plains, whose 
clayisli soil shows their geogenical composition, whereas 
the Punta del Este may be said to consist of a madreporic 
or Calcareous substance of more recent formation. In this 
small island, if it may be called by that name, clay is not 
to be found, nor will quartz or marble be seen, and 
amongst its beautiful groves not a single pine or any other 
of the trees which are so common in the Northern part or 
Island of Pines, meets the eye. These geological condi- 
tions, combined perhaps with other circumstances, induced 
the first owner of Punta del Este, to stock the same with 
cattle and horses, but the same has never been settled by 
any population, people always preferring the Northern 
part which is that which offers the greatest interest for 
the object in view, and it is of the same that I will give a 
description, in which task I will be very much assisted by 
the excellent work published by Mr. Ramon de Pina y Pi- 
nuela in this city in 1850, in which appears the learned 
report which he then made to the Government, in conse- 
quence of his appointment as Vice adviser and Secretary 
of the Corps of Military health. Besides this, it contains 
very interesting notes given by the military commanders 
in the island, and some official communications which 
throw a great deal of light upon our subject. But before 
copying, as I will do with pleasure, many entire paragraphs 
of the said work of Mr. Pina, it appears to me to be op- 
portune to give a slight description of the soil, which 5 
appears to consist in the whole Northern part of a vegetal 
clay, covered with exceedingly small ferruginous and sili- 
ceous sand, and in some spots with very small pebbles ap- 
parently composed of silicate of iron. Besides this appear 
in the midden of the extensive plain which forms the 
surface of the Northern part, many hills situated with 
some symmetry, and sketching, if we may use that term, 
small ridges of which the most extensive are from two to 
three miles long, without being much more than one and 
at most two in width, none of them exceeding one quarter 
of a mile in height, all these hills being formed of mar- 
morean rock, whose color, composition and fineness are of 
various grades. There are besides some insulated rocks, 
but these as well as the hills are covered as high as the 
top-, with large pine trees, and there are even palm trees 
(Palma Real) in some of them upon which is not to be 
found a handful of what is called vegetal soil; only the hill 
of La Daguilla and other insulated rocks which are called 
Cerro Pelado in the estate of the Manigua, and that of 
Lbs Cristales in La Piedra, make an exception, as those 
two elevations, as well as two small barren rocks, in the 
Sierra de Caballos are the only spots where not even shrubs 
are growing, the surface being covered with small grass. 
These hills are remarkable on account of their direction, 
which in almost all of them is from North to South, as 
may be observed in Sierra de Casas, Sierra de Caballos and 
El Columpio, El Cerro de Bibijagua, La Canada, &c. Be- 
sides these hills and insulated rocks which occupy many 
miles of ground, there are to be found, at very short dis- 
tances from each other, extensive quarries of quartz and 
silex, on account of which many persons have supposed, 
observing the puny vegetation which sparingly exists in 
some of the spots where those minerals are most abundant, 
that there might exist mines of gold, of silver, or other 
metals of appreciable value. Some persons have even 
indicated a particular spot, although the said spot may not 
be that, which reveals most the existence of mines, as 
there are others, as Cerro de los Cristales, Cerro Pelado, &c., 
which have a great analogy with the most celebrated spots 
in other parts of the rich South America, whose mines are 
a true river Pactolus. 
One will also at short distances meet with a large 
number of stones, consisting of carbonate of lime and iron, 6 
commonly known by the name of rnoco deherrero, which 
being of a gray color and rather rough on the outside, 
appear at some distance like herds of swine. Many rivu- 
lets gather the water which gushes from innumerable 
springs, as well as that which falls in torrents principally 
during the rainy months, and uniting amongst each other, 
and pouring their waters into deeper outlets, they finally 
form large brooks and even navigable rivers, as are those 
called Sta. Fe, Sierra de Casas and Las Nuevas; this last one 
although the most extensive, has the disadvantage of being 
only five palms in depth, whilst the others are seven and 
even more at their mouth. In some of those rivers and nume- 
rous brooks, many springs are gushing up, but what is most 
remarkable is that they are all potable and agreeable to 
the taste; some have the common temperature of the cli- 
mate, whilst in others the same is pretty high. Outside 
of the source and bed of the rivers are also thermal springs 
to be found, some of which are more or less hot, but in al- 
most all of them medicinal virtues, very well defined, have 
been detected, and well known hygienic qualities. All In 
general are admitted to be diuretic, some of them are lax- 
ative, the thermals are sudorific; in every one may be 
found purifying properties, as well as soothing and digesti- 
ve, removing obstructions, and aperitive, if we have to 
judge from their effects. 
To all this may also contribute more than we even 
presume, the dryness of the soil, as well as that of the air, 
whose temperature is generally more even than in the Is- 
land of Cuba, whereas the cold is never felt there like here, 
nor is known the suffocating heat which we experience, 
particularly when the wind blows from the South. During 
very few days in summer have I seen the thermometer of 
Reaumur rise above 25° nor fall lower than 20° during the 
coldest months of the year. Very seldom has hail fallen in 
the Island of Pines; it has never snowed there, nor has oil 
been congealed, nor have the leaves of the trees been dried 
up even on the hills, whilst on the plains of Cuba, some of 
them happen to be entirely stripped and no few plants pe- 
rish by the cold. Thus does it happen that the dryness 
land almost evenness of temperature during the year, the 
Viryness of the soil even during the rainy months, the pu- 
rity of the atmosphere which may be said to consist of pure 
air slightly embalmed by the odoriferous rosin of the pine 7 
trees, refreshed by the sea breezes which blow from every 
quarter, and some influences which we can not yet appre- 
ciate, but are due to the quality of the soil, contribute per- 
haps very powerfully to give a virtue to those waters which 
do not possess that intrinsic strength nor enjoy some or 
other specific quality, as many if not the majority of springs 
which supply the bathing places so well known and cele- 
brated in other parts of the world. Those waters, so simple 
and also highly agreeable to the taste by their temperature 
and of whose medical and prophilnctic properties I have 
to occupy myself, known by very few profanes, and com- 
pletely unknown to medical men, have remained in an 
absolute state of abandonment. But thanks to hazard, 
which has been very often the means of making great dis- 
coveries, and giantic steps in the road to progress in scien- 
ce as well as in arts, hazard, I repeat it, has made me be- 
come acquainted with them, and this knowledge which 
might also be considered as a fortuitous fact, was notwith- 
standing so significative, that I determined to devote to 
them my whole attention and investigation, as such a por- 
tentous fact could be produced only by a most powerful 
agent. However, I lacked at the time the necessary means 
to study them, and I was compelled to wait for the even- 
tuality of other or analogous facts or cases, in order to see 
whether the same results would be confirmed, for I could 
not doubt them, as I do not doubt at present that a certain 
law, unknown but determined by the hand of the supreme 
Maker, is that which governs and settles certain facts which 
being extraordinary, have not only been doubted but even 
denied with the greatest impudence by the very same per- 
sons who have been favored and benefitted by the said law 
of casuality, whose existence is only denied because it has 
always been so, and because the human being in his na- 
tural indolence, in order not to make an effort when he 
stumbles upon an obstacle, far from doing all that is neces- 
sary to remove the same, if possible, from the road which 
has to lead him to the temple of truth, contents himself 
with denying the possibility of his emotion; leaving to the 
impulse of time to do what it would be his duty to accom- 
plish. 
But I, notwithstanding my want of strength and the 
scarcity of means upon which I could depend, took the de- 
cision to undertake the empirical studying, if I may use 8 
that term, of these waters, at whose springs I had seen 
disappearing as by enchantment the tuberculous phthisis, 
determined by men who were most aide to do so with 
correctness. Having therefore gone to the spot to exami- 
ne the soil and afterwards study the air, I was enabled to 
acquire a better knowledge of the water or waters which 
run in every direction in the extensive plain of what we 
shall with propriety call Island of Pines or what is to day 
called Northern part. As soon as I established myself in 
Nueva Gerona, and that I saw the difference which exists 
between the waters of the River and the Rivulet, those of 
Paso de Luis and Brazo Fuerte, those of Malpais and /Santa 
Fe, it seemed to me to be indispensable to examine the sar 
me not only by their effects, but to study their composi- 
tion, if it were solely to pursue with advantage the task 
which I had taken upon myself, and to attain that object 
I decided upon employing a friend of mine who is a very 
distinguished professor of Chemistry, who willingly agreed 
to oblige me by making a qualified analysis of a spring of 
Santa Fe, which being the most celebrated, appeared to me 
to be preferable. But on finding out the herbs which made 
part of its composition, and the proportion which they may 
make out according to the weight, it appeared to me indis- 
pensable to have a quantitive analysis made, for which 
work I am indebted to the kindness and well known intel- 
ligence of the Reverend Fathers Esculapios, and it is only 
true to say that having this before my eyes, I was struck 
with some doubts, whether it would be convenient or not 
to publish the same, in order to make known the excellen- 
ce of the locality and of the waters, whereas without any 
doubt, the chemical composition of the same, not only 
does not explain, but even authorizes to deny the facts to 
those who have not had the opportunity to witness them. 
But being more enslaved to my duty than to my will, I 
thought it indispensable in order that science should take 
the position which belongs to the same, as faithful inter- 
preter of the facts which have to be explained, if pos- 
sible, admitting them and acknowledging them always as 
paranymphs which the author of all that is created sends us 
of his potent will. To report the facts belongs to the his- 
torian, to explain them to the philosopher, and to adapt 
the same, in the present case, to the medical man. Let us 
see and peruse the history of the facts produced by the 9 
virtue or medicinal strength of those waters, and let us 
afterwards try to find out their explanation. 
The first cases which I have seen have been of patients 
given up as hopeless and suffering of tubercular phthisis, 
characterized already in its second period. Those patients, 
notwithstanding their hereditary constitution and its • 
symptoms, their way of living, their age and occasional 
reasons, which all contribute to develop the disease, whose 
course could not be stopped by any of the methods and 
remedies applied with the greatest intelligence and most 
careful attention, were saved notwithstanding. These facts 
induced me to accompany , thither a young lady who was 
doomed to die according to the sentence of our medical 
celebrities, and whilst I was witnessing day by day the 
relief which she almost instantaneously began to feel, I 
observed the favorable change which I experienced in my- 
self, so far as to recover completely from some sufferings 
by which I was condemned for thirteen years to insom- 
nolency which only allowed me to sleep three and very 
seldom four hours during the night. And as a consequence 
of this want of sleep which was perhaps the result of a per- 
sistent headache, a nervous livercomplaint of many years 
standing, accompanied by a constant intestinal constipation, 
contributing to weaken my digestive powers, had impaired 
my eyesight to such a degree that I had been obliged to 
use magnifying glasses since three years. I suffered also 
of a chronic irritation in the back part of the mouth and 
the larynx which had troubled me, and compelled me to 
remain without speaking for many months, and to submit 
myself to the action of alterating remedies, mineral baths, 
absolute rest and all that was judged convenient by some 
of my colleagues who volunteered to prescribe for me. I 
was much reduced, with a faded complexion and notwith 
standing a prophilactie diet strictly observed, I had not 
passed a single day without being tormented by pain in 
the liver, a tenacious constipation and other symptoms, 
the most painful being the failing of my eyesight and want 
of sleep. All this disappeared in less than a month, and 
since then, although having advanced in years, I have not 
felt even one of the habitual indispositions which had made 
me suffer during so many years. All the persons who have 
known me, and have a friendly intercourse with me, are 
witnesses to this fact. And I have not only been for- tunate in saving my life, -which every one considered as 
lost, but have also had a favorable opportunity to watch 
many people suffering from other diseases, and who were 
cured by the sole use of the baths of N. Gerona and Sta. Fe. 
Besides this, I saw the waters of the other places men- 
tioned in the analysis, and not being able to.use more than 
those of the Thermal of Santa Fe, I shall limit myself to 
cite those persons who have been cured at that place, al- 
though they had been declared to be hopeless, one of them 
being a man who suffered from an eruption which had all 
the symptoms of leprosy, whereas „nothing was wanting, 
neither the nasal voice which is observed in all those pa- 
tients, nor the particular pains in the articulations of the 
thighs and shin-bones, the ulcerations of the ears, the violet 
color of the eyelids and the burning heat of the skin, the 
falling out of the eyelashes and ulcers in different spots. 
Another case not less remarkable is that of a lady from 
the country whose disease dated many years back and her 
whole skin appeared to be destroyed by leprosy. She had 
used several alterative remedies prescribed by experienced 
doctors, and neither those, nor the mineral baths of San 
Diego taken several times, nor sea bathing, nor the chan- 
ging of air, nor the severe diet to which she was subject, 
were sufficient I will not say to cure her, but even to check 
the progress of the disease. This lady was also cured in 
Santa Fe. As well as another young man, poet and lite- 
rator, who arrived at the baths without even eyebrows 
and eyelashes, which were destroyed by a venereal tetter, 
and he was cured. 
10 
Another cure was that of an individual who suffered 
frem a squirrous tumor in the stomach, and after having 
been treated here by several professors and used different 
remedies without being able to alleviate the intense pain 
which he experienced, nor stop the vomiting which every 
thing excited, went to Europe where he was not more for- 
tunate and came back resigned to die, when one of his 
friends, moved by compassion, took him to the island, and 
a few days after he had been taking the baths, a crisis took 
place in the tumor, and with some vomiting and black 
evacuations which he discharged, the pain which tormented 
him cruelly disappeared in three days, and the vomiting 
which was brought on by everything that he swallowed 
was stopped, he being able to eat and drink with impunity 11 
the most coarse and stimulating substances. A lady who 
suffered from a pertinacious intermittent gastralgy which 
had resisted the action of anodynes and sedatives, of eva- 
cuating and reducing remedies, of the baths in Guanaba- 
coa and Marianao, in Madruga and San Diego, was com- 
pletely relieved in Santa Fe. A citizen and landlord in 
Cienfuegos suffered for more than forty years from a car- 
dialgy which was so severe that he thought many times it 
would carry him off; several professors were consulted, 
but the patient not having obtained a radical cure, went to 
take the waters in Saratoga, where he suffered much, and 
having consulted me, I sent him to the Island, where the 
pain disappeared. It should be observed that when I saw 
him for the first time, several professors were assembled, 
who unanimously prognosticated his death. I was the only 
one who dissented, for which reason being the only favora- 
ble opinion, it was that which was accepted. D. G. suffe- 
red from a fibro-articular rheumatism which paralyzed his 
movements, causing the most acute pains, and when the 
inefficiency of all the remedies applied by the various doc- 
tors who attended him was ascertained, he went to the 
Island and in a few days the pain ceased and he recovered 
the free use of all his limbs. 
D. N. about fifty years' of age, architect, of a nervous 
temperament, high stature, slender muscles, well confor- 
med and who enjoyed good health, was accidentally atta- 
cked by an extremely intense rheumatic pain; and not 
succeeding in recovering his free motion and suppressing 
the-pain by the application of the most violent internal and 
external remedies, he attained the desired end as soon as 
he bathed himself in the Island of Pines. 
D. suffered from a dysentery which became chronic 
and threatened to end in consumption;, which was the more 
to be apprehended, as he was an individual of a nervous- 
lymphatic temperament, hepatical idiosyncrasy, of mid- 
dling height, leading a sedentary life on account of his 
profession, in the strength of his age, well regulated habits, 
and directed by an experienced medical man, revealing 
the tenacity of the disease and how deeply its roots were 
seated, whereas it resisted the action of all the remedies 
used to remove the same, and nothing could be obtained, 
until he went to Santa Fe, where he completely recovered 
his health in a short time, 12 
D. fifty years of age, lymphatic temperament, gastro- 
hepatical idiosyncracy, suffered from the belly and from 
the kidneys besides, ejecting frequently fragments or con- 
cretions of a calcareous nature. His digestion was excee- 
dingly slow and never perfect being preceded by some 
pains, and although he had consulted several professors 
and been several times in San Diego, he never recovered 
nor could have a good digestion, without interruption of 
the ejection of calcareous fragments, until he went to spend 
a very short time in Santa Fe, where all his ailments dis- 
appeared although he did not very strictly observe the 
diet which had been prescribed to him. 
Mr. George Lesage authorizes me to publish his name. 
He is in the strength of age, of nervous temperament, mid- 
dling height, with well developed muscles, but rather 
lightly built, machinist by trade. He contracted in a low 
although dry locality, a disentery which treated with inte- 
lligence and tended carefully did not yield to the treat- 
ment and remedies which were brouhht into play, and 
when a fatal end was already feared, he went to the Island 
of Pines, where he saw the disease disappear and he is now 
engaged in putting up several sets of machinery, intended 
for the preparation of starch and also for cleaning rice 
(which articles are of superior quality in the Island which 
in the opinion of many is barren.) As many medical men, 
not to say all of them, in this city are in the most com- 
plete ignorance of what the Island of Pines is, they conce- 
de to its waters somo virtue in diseases of the stomach, 
but absolutely deny them any efficacy in diseases of the 
chest, and as- this sad error deprives and has deprived 
many sick people of this powerful remedy, I will take 
leave to quote several facts, besides the many which are 
already referred to by me in a memorandum and sundry 
articles published in this city, which appear to me to be 
conclusive. 
A young man of twenty two years of age, or there- 
about, of high stature, nervous-lymphatic temperament, 
active life, rather irregular in. his hours for sleeping, had 
suffered in his infancy from nervous asthma, which dis- 
appeared upon changing climate, but having returned to 
his country, and already engaged in working, he was 
attacked about two years ago by an active hemoctisis 
accompanied by a pain under the left slioulderblade and 13 
fever. He consulted upon his case with an experienced 
professor, who subjected him to the medical and prophy- 
lactic diet which he thought the most opportune, but not 
being efficacious although it produced a temporary relief, 
the doctor thought it would be well to make him change 
of climate, and as he had already upon a former occasion 
recruited himself in the Peninsula, where he can depend 
upon the kindness and affection of his family, and told 
him so, which the patient accepted cheerfully and he went 
to the South of Spain in la Serrania de Ronda, where he 
thought he felt some relief, which afterwards disappeared, 
the hemorrhagy returning, and he came back, if not worse 
than he was before, at least without any notable improve- 
ment, and after a few days, the hemoctisis declared itself, 
which was attented to by the same doctor who had treated 
him before; but less fortunate than the first time, the 
patient began to doubt as he changed the remedies, passing 
from the astringents to the antiphlogistics, and as neither 
the one nor the other relieved him. he consulted another 
very distinguished professor, who seeing the inefficacy of 
all the remedies used by his predecessor and by him, 
advised him one which the patient refused to take much 
in spite of himself, which made the consulting physician 
order codliver oil, which remedy was approved by two 
other professors according to the method proposed by 
Dr who believed the case to be already 
hopeless, so that he abandoned the same, and the patient 
finding himself more and more prostrated, with more 
fever, more cough, more expectoration, more reduced in 
flesh, and in strength, more tormented by pain, lassitude, 
want of appetite and the increasing fear that his disease 
was* hopeless, decided to consult a homeopathic professor, 
who gave him to understand that he was already in the 
last period of tuberculous consumption, but fliat notwiths- 
tanding he hoped that under his direction he might yet 
be saved, and for that purpose subjected him to the system 
of treatment of Hahnemann. But one month’s trial suffi- 
ced to convince him that he was losing his strength and 
his sufferings went on increasing, so that he abandoned 
that system to consult me, when El Siglo was already 
publishing the extraordinary cases, similar to his own, 
which had ended felicitously thanks to the temperature 
and waters of the Isle of Pines, and with a view to this 14 
he consulted me on the 17th of September 1863, exhibi- 
ting the following symptoms. Continuous fever which 
slacked towards daybreak with a copious perspiration, 
much coughing and very abundant expectoration of a 
purulent and fetid matter, a constant pain in the back and 
middlepart of the left side, between the vertebral column 
and shoulderblade, a dull sound in almost the whole lung 
on that side, and rather indistinct in the upper and fore- 
part of the right side, very short and uneasy breathing, 
insatiable thirst, complete want of appetite, general debili- 
ty, extreme leanness, insomnolency and a very tremulous 
pulse. This conglomeration of' symptoms justified the 
prediction of the learned professors who had seen him, and 
although they inspired fear on account of their seriousness, 
1 was still more intimidated by the prognostic of those 
who had treated him. But supported by practical obser- 
vations, and so to speak, my bold advices being justified, 
notwithstanding that the patient and his family did not 
know me, my opinion prevailed, and he arrived at the Isle 
of Pines, on the 20th of said month: a few days sufficed for 
him to feel the revulsive effects of the place and its waters, 
which were increased by some very disagreeable moral 
impressions, but fortunately in the face of so many con- 
trarieties, of the impressive isolation in which he found 
himself, and the affliction caused by the indiscreet lan- 
guage of some rather uncircumspect people, notwithstand- 
ing all this, hq began to improve, alleviation gave him 
more strength, this strength inspired him with a consoling 
hope, and although there was no want of those who wished 
to destroy the same, the fact palpable by itself was stronger 
than the sayings against it, until I saw him in April of 
last year, (1864) without fever, the hemoctisis stopped, 
the pain disappeared, the cough alleviated, sleep restored, 
the appetite renewed, free respiration in the whole right 
lung, almost free in the left one, where he received a blow 
from which he suffered great pain, which has disappeared, 
Iris complexion restored, his weight increased, and he only 
suffered yet from attacks of asthma to which he was sub- 
ject in his childhood, for which motive he consulted me to 
know whether he could go to spend the summer in the 
beautiful climate of Andalusia, and notwithstanding my 
adverse opinion, he started in May with the flattering and 
well founded hope of completely recovering the health 15 
which he had lost. This ill advised young man died sub- 
sequently in November, having disregarded my opinion. 
The following fact which has been submitted to obser- 
vation, is not less conspicuous, and has been related by the 
patient himself. Joaquin Abaical, native of Santander, 
28 years of age, dedicated to commerce, suffered in Decem- 
ber 18G2 of intermittent fevers, which lasted for three 
months, when they stopped, and according to the patient’s 
statement, a cutaneous eruption appeared, which had a 
scorbutic appearance accompanied by a muscular contrac- 
tion which impeded the free exercise of the thoraxical and 
abdominal limbs. 
The physicians who tended him administered the io- 
dure of potash and a ptisan, with which they succeeded in 
reestablishing the free motion and amending the eruption, 
advising him to complete his cure to take the sea baths, 
which excited a very strong cough, in consequence of 
which he expectorated blood, which was preceded and 
attended by an oppressive pain at the heart, and an intense 
headache, almost without remissness, also want of appetite. 
They submitted him then to an antiphlogistic treatment, 
but without stopping the cough and the aversion to eating 
continuing, they advised him to go to the Isle of Pines, 
where he arrived on the 3d of May 1863 with the following 
symptoms. Cough, hemoctisis, hoarse voice, want of appe- 
tite, short and hissing breathing, headeache, restlessness at 
night, extreme weakness, slow and continuous fever, 
hypochondria and little confidence in the Island for curing 
him. But notwithstanding all' this, to stop the bleeding 
and drive the fever away in the face of the hypertrophic 
symptoms of the heart he was advised to take the baths of 
Santa Rita, in Santa F£. Tie was advised to folknv a 
nutritious diet of tender meats, farinaceous substances, 
and vegetables, to take a moderate exercise, being strictly 
prohibited to take liquors, coffee, highly seasoned substan- 
ces and acids, and cautioned against violent exercise, expo- 
sure to the sun and even to squalls, rain and nightdew. 
The fever abated in a few days, the cough ceased, as well 
as the spitting of blood, he sleeps well, eats better, is fleshy, 
has a good complexion, and only can be perceived now, 
although much diminished, the symptoms of hypertrophy 
which are disappearing in the same degree as he is regaining 
strength, and the well directed muscular exercise goes on increasing. A radical cure may be expected, as the here- 
before mentioned change has taken place in eleven months. 
The two cases here described are very remarkable, 
and they say a great deal in favor of the temperature and 
waters of the Isle of Pines, but the following is very sin- 
gular, and therefore deserves to be described, as well for 
the consolation of human kind as to make known how far 
reach the hygienic and medicinal properties of tins cele- 
brated Island, so little studied and known by the scienti- 
fic men. 
16 
We allude to a lady of more than 60 years of age, 
nervous temperament, leading a sedentary life, who in 
consequence of great grief began to lose her appetite, spent 
several sleepless nights, and found her breathing rather 
painful. She suffered besides from a white flood, which is 
very common in this country, and feeling herself in the be- 
ginning of the month of November 1863 very much fati- 
gued, she took a bath which was almost cold, and a short 
time afterwards she observed a swelling and some pain in 
the sacro-iliacal region, the fatigue increasing and being 
tormented by the swelling and want. of appetite she re- 
solved to consult a homeopathic doctor. This doctor flat- 
tered himself to be able to overcome, these symptoms, but 
unfortunately days, weeks, and even more than a month 
elapsed, and far from mending, the disease went on increa- 
sing, as if the method adopted and followed up had been 
selected in order to exasperate and not to oppose the same. 
It was already more than a month that the patient could 
not go to bed, as she suffocated in the horizontal position. 
She had no evacuations as the constipation of the belly was 
tenacious, the urine very scanty, perspiration failed, weak- 
ness was great, prostration extreme, the general swelling 
increased, and a fatal end was apprehended with reason, 
for which reason a meeting was convened of aleopathic pro- 
fessors, much distinguished by their knowledge, who de- 
cided upon submitting her to evacuating and diuretical 
remedies, which produced a short and transient relief, al- 
though they were assisted by an adequate prophilactic diet. 
But after some days, these remedies and many others subs- 
tituted to them were unable to stop the disease, and on 
the contrary, the same became gradually more strong and 
threatening, after useless trials and exertions worthy of 
the distinguished professors who attended the case, they 17 
decided to propose as a last chance of salvation the use of 
subnitrate of mercury, prepared according to the prescrip- 
tion of Dr. Bernal of this country and the way in which 
it is administered by the writer of this article, upon which 
he was consulted. But the seriousness of the case and the 
special circumstance that the patient experienced convul- 
sions each time that she vomited, contra-indicated a medi- 
cament like the herebefore named subnitrate which is en- 
tirely an emeto-cathartic by excellence. Consequently, 
taking into consideration the idiosyncrasy, want of strength 
slow fever, general debility and impossibility of taking 
food, the absence of sleep, hypertrophic palpitations of the 
heart, the pulsations of the carotid arteries, the suffocating 
asthma, the marmorean frigidity of the skin, the scantness 
of urine, the absence of perspiration, all these symptoms 
indicating a hepatalgy which threatened to terminate in 
suppuration, it was proposed to the professors and physi- 
cians who were present, to the sick person and her friends 
that the intended pill should not be administered yet, 
either on account of being powerless to overcome such a 
terrible disease, or being contra-indicated in the present 
case, which only the climate and waters of the Isle of 
Pines could subdue. This advice was received with plea- 
sure by the patient, with leniency by the consulting phy- 
sicians, and proposed with full confidence by the same who 
undertook to direct her, although with a complete want of 
confidence on the part of the professors and illiterate persons 
who saw her, and foretelling her impending death, did not 
believe it probable that she should reach the Island. And 
although it may appear impossible, the result answered 
admirably well, notwithstanding the obstacle caused by a 
certain self-will of the patient, and the fear which was 
inspired to her by those who not knowing what is and 
might be the medicinal virtue of that spot, did not under- 
stand that it might save a sick person almost at the point 
of death in the opinion of the illiterate persons and pro- 
fessors unskilled in that matter. But the conscientious 
conviction of him who had made the proposition made the 
patient remain, if not all the time that would have been 
necessary for her complete and radical cure, at least suffi- 
ciently to save her notoriously, notwithstanding the infrac- 
tions which she committed upon the diet prescribed, and 
if she had not abandoned the place before the time which 18 
Was necessary for her recovery, the same Would have been 
sure, as she was told, but judging unnecessary to remain 
there, and wishing to enjoy the agreeable sojourn which 
was offered to her in another spot, she deviated from the 
prescribed diet, rejected the advice which was in opposition 
with her wishes, and drew upon herself the return of the 
ailing which the remedies could not check and much less 
amend. 
This fact and others not less conspicuous which I am 
going to relate will make known the hygienic and medici- 
nal virtues of that Island, for the relief of human kind, 
for the honor of science, and the satisfaction of those who 
know howto avail themselves of the gifts of nature for the 
welfare of our fellow-beings. 
' Mrs. N. Bacallao de Hernandez, residing in Managua, 
in this island, about 35 years old, of a nervous-lymphatic 
temperament, serous predisposition, middling height, slen- 
der muscles, debilitated chest, after having been delivered 
several times with good luck, was attacked by a chronic 
metritis, suffering from a painful enlargement of the ope- 
ning of the womb, and besides from a gastro-hepatalgy. 
A very experienced doctor took charge of tending her, 
and although he employed the means which are most 
recommended in similar cases, all the symptoms remained 
unchanged and very strongly marked during more than 
two months. The plan for curing the disease having been 
modified, a slow fever accompanied by a complete want of 
appetite made its appearance, together with a troublesome 
cough at night and in consequence of these fits of coughing, 
small liemorrhagies of very watery blood took place, and 
symptoms of a general tuberculisation presenting themsel- 
ves, inspired serious fears to the prudent and skilful pro- 
fessional man who attended the case: this gentleman 
however using every effort in applying his curative plan, 
seeing the inefficacy of the iode under different forms, as 
he had also seen that of the hemlock and sundry other 
soothing and resolutive remedies, when he thought that 
the symptoms authorized him to characterize a tuberculous 
consumption in its second period, taking into account the 
dulness of the breathing sound in both lungs, the nigh tty 
sweatings, the slow fever, the greasy expectoration, the 
fetid breath, the suppression of her monthly courses, the 
pains in the tlioraxic region, both in front and back, the 19 
short and difficult breathing, the lacking of muscular 
strength, the so well defined deterioration of the blood, the 
troublesome headache, the want of appetite and most of all 
the depression of spirits, he was induced to listen to my 
opinion, and in conformity with the same, this patient 
went to the Isle of Pines with a yellowish complexion that 
revealed the liver complaint, as well as the impossibility 
of walking and the pain in all the lower part of the belly, 
whereas the swelling of the orifice of the womb indicated 
clearly the sufferings of that organ also. Many persons 
on seeing her upon her arrival thought that her death was 
inevitable; but this lady observing faithfully the diet which 
has been prescribed to her, she has been so completely 
improved, that four months later she returned from the 
Island not only cured, but she is now pregnant since se- 
veral months. Pier plumpness, her complexion, her acti- 
vity and lightsomeness denote perfectly the well-being 
which she-is enjoying. 
Nor is less remarkable the case of a lady inhabiting 
Matanzas, and wife of a Mr. Somoza, well known in the 
said city, and who after having struggled during fourteen 
months with an intermittent fever, which stubbornly resis- 
ted all the remedies employed, and having changed her 
residence as well as her physicians and curative diet, she 
saw herself reduced to a general consumption, and a dete- 
rioration of the blood so much pronounced that she looked 
more like a statue of ivory than a living person. This 
lady went also to the Isle of Pines, and to the same sani- 
tary house in which Mrs. Bacallao was restoring her health, 
returning three months afterwards with a fine complexion, 
increased in weight, quite pleased with her excursion and 
convinced of the efficacy of those waters, or rather, of that 
spot so beneficial to her, as well as to several other sick 
persons whom I saw recruiting themselves at the same 
time; but it is and ought to be very useful, of known in- 
terest for humanity and of pride for science, if one can go 
so far as to explain them with exactitude for the satisfac- 
tion of the professors who wish to make a study of them. 
Those facts are recorded in a Memoir which I published 
in 1857, and they prove clearly, as is also evident from 
later observations, that I do not exaggerate in repeating 
with the oracle of Cos, after thirty eight years of obser- 
vation and study of the climate and waters of the Island, 20 
the sentences of an aphorism in which it says: That what 
the remedies not cure is' cured by the knife, that what the 
knife does not cure, the fire does cure, and that which is not 
cured by fire in chronical diseases, do I add, the Island cures 
and that which the Island does not cure is incurable. And 
in saying this I take my ground upon the fact that the 
first observations I made about the effects produced by 
the climate and the waters in question were entirely of 
cases considered as hopeless, nothing less than of tuber- 
culous consumption, which had been attended to by very 
distinguished professors; and as the patients and fami- 
lies were different so were the physicians and treatment 
also different. Theprofessors to whom I .allude were 
Mssrs. Romay, Hevia, Marin, Montes de Oca, Abreu etc. 
Besides the cases of consumption and hemorrhagy of 
the lungs, came under my observation one which showed 
all the symptoms of elephantiasis; another which appeared 
to be leprous; another looking like the elephantiasis of the 
Arabs; besides those I noticed several of consumption of 
the larynx, and chronical disenteries, already given up by 
science, venereal infections very deeply rooted and which 
nothing had been able to suppress, of lymphatic affections, 
of general debility, of deterioration of the blood, of white 
flood, of scurvy, of tetter, of rhumatism, of lumbago, of 
gout, of paralysis, of intermittent fevers, resisting stubborn- 
ly all the known methods and remedies, of gastralgies, of 
liver complaints, of severe pains in the bowels, nervous, 
bilious and nefritic colics, of calcareous gravel, of incipient 
sandy urinating, also of inflammation of the bladder, of 
violent headaches, of accidental epilepsy which generally 
attacks children and some hysterical women, of spasmodic 
pains, of constipation, of diarrheas, of nervous cough, of 
vomiting symptomatic of pregnancy, of diseases of the 
eyes and ears, of ulcers in the neck of the womb, of syphi- 
litic and lymphatic ulcers, and what has been to me most 
remarkable and superior to all, two cases of tumors in the 
stomach which have not only disappeared, but the pain 
has subsided and the vomiting stopped, strength being 
restored to persons of more than fifty years of age. Brigtitis 
also has been amended, and there are persons who have 
been eye witnesses of all these facts, and although one of 
the patients saved on the Island has chosen to elicit some 
doubts about the same out of particular motives, the phy- 21 
sicians Messrs. Jorrin and Dupierris are unexceptionable 
witnesses, as are also of the same case the respectable fa- 
milies of his Excellency Jose Ricardo O’Farrill, Count of 
Bainoa, etc. Were it not for fear of making this work too 
long I would describe one by one, all and every one of the 
innumerable cases which have been studied by me to subs- 
tantiate what I have narrated, and which can be corrobo- 
rated by what I am going to copy textually from Dr. Pina, 
who expresses himself in the following terms. 
((From a nominal statement which I found by chance 
in the Archives of the Military Department of this Island, 
and which embraces the years 1842 to 1846, it appears 
that the number of deaths during this period of five years 
is very small, taking into consideration the reasons and 
causes of destructiou which I will show further on.» 
The summary of the said report, specifying the diffe- 
rent corps and the number of individuals of each of them 
who have been sent to the island, is as follows. 
CORPS. 
No. of 
individuals. 
Cured. 
Died. 
Espana 
1 
00 
1 
Isabel II 
18 
16 
2 
Corona 
8 
5 
3 
Lanceros 
8 
8 
00 
Artilleria 
7 
4 
3 
Cuba 
10 
9 
1 
Union 
31 
28 
3 
Leon 
28 
21 
7 
Merito 
1 
00 
1 
Cantabria 
38 
32 
6 
Tarragona 
16 
10 
6 
Milicias 
1 
1 
00 
Depbsito 
1 
1 
00 
Habana 
1 
1 
00 
N&poles 
4 
2 
2 
173 
138 
35 
Which gives a result of approximately twenty five per 
cent. It will be seen that from one hundred and seventy 
three soldiers sent to Nueva Gerona during the years 1842 
to 1846, one hundred and thirty eight have left after 
having been cured, and thirty five died. It should be 
particularly borne in mind that many of them were so far 
advanced in their disease that they have died on the way 
or a very short time after having reached the Island. 
It is highly to be regretted that a measure which gave 
such brilliant results should have been suspended, but it- 22 
is also to be hoped that the same shall be put in operation 
again as soon as his Excellency the Captain General will 
come to know how much.may be expected from the climate 
and temperature of the said spot for the benefit of the 
sick soldier. 
Mr. Aneses, speaking of the hospital for convalescent 
soldiers established on the Isle of Pines in the manifest 
which he addressed to General Miguel Tacon in 1834, 
expresses himself in the following terms. «I also consider 
to be necessary the employment of a sergeant or corporal, 
designated in the 33rd paragraph (alluding to the Memoir 
written by Delgado in 1832) whereas, besides the duties 
which are there in specified, he could also take charge of 
the detachments of convalescents sent by the different 
corps without sergeants or corporals to command them, it 
being impossible to avoid the licentiousness of the soldier 
without immediate officers, it being understood that upon 
their departure hence, they should only be provided with 
what is strictly' requisite for their voyage as far as Bata- 
bano, and receive the balance from the Royal chest there, 
whereby' many excesses and pledges of the said soldiers 
would be avoided, as at the very moment of receiving the 
money to provide themselves with provisions, some mi's 
spend it, others gamble it away, and the result is that they 
ask for further assistance in order not to perish of want 
in this Island; and whenever it is given to them they again 
waste it according to their whim, so that it has become a 
custom to give them half an ounce ($8.50) on the very 
same day that their furlough expires, so as to enable them 
to return to their respective corps.)) So it is that instead 
of recuperating their health and strength, observing a re- 
gular method in their way of eating and well regulated 
way of living, some of them retrograde and get worse, in 
consequence of this want of observance, thereby creating 
unproductive expenses for the Royal Treasury, undue 
reductions of the different corps, and an unfounded dis- 
credit with regard to the temperature of the Island, so 
beneficial and salutary, confirmed by very recent events, 
whereas in the same has not been known the pestilency 
which under the name of Dengue visited in the year 1828 
the other West India Islands and the whole coast of the 
Gulph of Mexico, nor the Small pox which in 1829 rava- 
ged the Island of Cuba, although two sons of Mr. Delgado 23 
who had been infected in this capital, proceeded to the Isle 
of Pines whilst they were still fresh, nor the Cholera, 
although its inhabitants provided themselves with provis- 
ions and other articles brought from Havana without any 
precaution, whilst at the same time whole families were 
carried off to the grave, nor even the yellow fever, that 
insatiable destroyer and most dangerous foe of the Euro- 
pean who migrates to this climate. 
In consequence of those indications the Superior Au- 
thority ordered that the patients should proceed to the 
Island under custody of a sergeant or corporal of their 
respective corps, until they were delivered at the said place 
to the officer in command of the convalescents, and even 
with this precaution, it could not be avoided that some 
disorders would happen, which many paid with their exis- 
tence. 
But notwithstanding the bad conduct of the soldiers 
who arrived there to recruit their health, notwithstanding 
the excesses and irregularities of every kind committed by 
them on account of the officer who watched them not being 
of a rank high enough to repress them, notwithstanding 
that the largest number of them went there with all the 
appearances of a confirmed consumption and of other 
different diseases considered to be incurable, this measure 
has given results which are satisfactory and even incre- 
dible as will appear from the statement which I have given 
heretofore, with only the influence of the climate and the 
waters of that valuable Island. 
Many sick persons have not succeeded in expelling 
completely their ailments, the same having relapsed with 
more violence when they had scarcely reached the Island 
of Cuba; this mishap can be explained very easily, if one 
will heed the way in which they have attended to their 
treatment, from the moment they determined to go to the 
Isle of Pines. As soon as they were arrived there, they 
thought themselves authorized to commit with impunity all 
sorts of excesses, principally in their food, giving themsel- 
ves up without restraint to the enjoyment of fruit inclu- 
ding mangos, of codfish, liver, lobsters and other food of 
difficult digestion, using at the same time milk as a bever- 
age. Nor did they omit to expose themselves to the vicis- 
situdes of the atmosphere, going through sunshine, rain and 
night dew as if they were enjoying the most perfect health 24 
which one may desire, and they changed entirely their 
habits and way of living, being confident that the influence 
of the climate would be sufficient to destroy their sickness 
entirely. The consequences which were to result from 
such a conduct can be understood by any pdfson of even 
middling comprehensive powers: in fact they were assailed 
by indigestions, vomiting, diarrheas, cough, difficulty of 
breathing, want of sleep etc., and thence depression of 
spirits, want of confidence, ill humor and gloomy thoughts 
and forebodings which embittered the days of their exis- 
tence. 
All this united with the aspect of the Island which 
they saw almost uninhabited, gloomy with regard to so- 
ciety and recreation, rather scant in resources and comforts 
in tedious and delicate cares as are required by a patient 
of that class, who is importunate and discontented out of 
all reason on account of his sufferings, disgusted them ins- 
tantly and they thought of returning to the bosom of their 
family. 
During the days which they spent there, they were 
wearied and in extremely bad humor, every thing seemed 
to be bad and was repugnant to them, and notwithstanding 
this state of the mind, which must more or less have its 
influence upon that of the body, the mild and salutary 
temperature of the Island joined with the use of its waters, 
was diffusing its healthful influence in that unfortunate 
being who was fighting although uselessly and without 
knowing it, to destroy the same. Notwithstanding so 
much contrariety he improves, fattens up, enjoys himself, 
the place where he is living becomes less hateful to him, 
and insensibly and sometimes as by enchantment he reco- 
vers his lost health, congratulating himself upon the deter- 
mination he has taken, and mentally thanks those who 
have advised him to go there. A month or thereabout 
after finding himselfwith new strength, renovated spirits, in 
one word, in complete health, although not entirely consoli- 
dated, he leaves the Island and at the very moment he 
returns to his customary mode of living, the disease reap- 
pears with the same violence, or worse than before and 
drags its victim to the tomb. 
Let this patient remain during the whole time which is 
necessary to insure his cure, to change, if this idea may be 
allowed to me, his constitution, to acquire strength and power of resistance adequate to check the causes of his 
disease, and he will become an enthusiast more, who will' 
extol the benefits which the Isle of Pines affords to the 
afflicted human race.—Since from the beginning the name 
of convalescents has been given to the sick soldiers who 
are sent to that spot, I shall continue to use the same 
word, although strictly speaking, that term signifies the 
transient state between sickness and health, a state which 
lasts more or less according to the class of disease from 
which the patient has suffered and the more or less vigor 
of his constitution, as well as a multitude of other cir- 
cumstances which it is useless to enumerate. 
25 
In proportion to the ailings which have attacked the 
soldier who goes to the Isle of Pines to spend the period 
of his convalescence, must his residence there be prolon- 
ged more or less, until the disease with which he was 
afflicted shall have entirely disappeared. It being impos- 
sible to establish fixed rules to define the time which this 
must last, I will hold out some indications to illustrate 
that idea, although for all that, they could not be looked 
upon as invariable for all the patients. 
The chronical catarrhs (colds) require a long stay in 
the village of Nueva Gerona, as well as all the other affect- 
ions of the chest which give fears of an invasion of con- 
sumption, principally if there are suspicions that the same 
might be at its beginning. The neuralgies or nervous 
diseases are not so difficult to eradicate, and therefore not 
so large a number of days is necessary to attain their- 
complete disappearance. The convalescence after some 
acute diseases is generally of long duration, especially so 
in the Hospitals, those who have suffered from them re- 
maining exposed to contract others, and more dangerous 
on account of the state of decline and susceptibility in' 
which they find themselves, so that it will be very useful 
to send to the spot in question those who are in that pos- 
ition, not losing sight of the fact that the complete reco- 
very of those patients takes place in less time than that of 
those specified before. The eruptions on the skin, the 
affections of the stomach and intestines, the chronical in- 
flammations or obstruction of the liver and the milt, syphi- 
litic diseases or rheumatical pains will require more or less 
time according to the idiosyncracy of the individual and 
the length of time these ailings have existed. 26 
The convalescent of the Isle of Pines should use food 
of an easy digestion, not loading his stomach with more 
than the quantity which that organ can digest, taking care 
also to remain always with some appetite after a meal is 
concluded, and he should never attempt to excite that 
sensation by using stimulants like wine, brandy, spices, 
pickles etc. It must however not be understood that all 
must abstain from wine, for there vTill be some for whom 
it will be useful and even necessary to use the same in 
moderate quantity, and only to assist the digestive powers 
of the stomach, wrhen the same are defective in consequen- 
ce of the want of action or atony of that organ. 
It seems superfluous to call attention to the extreme 
neatness and cleanliness which should be observed by 
those convalescents, and the care they have to take in 
preserving themselves from the vicissitudes of the atmos- 
phere, which fortunately are not sudden nor extreme in 
that place, as I have said before, but altogether, they 
should avoid very carefully the heat of the sun, and damp- 
ness, principally about the feet which must be kept pro- 
tected during the night, when they are sleeping. They 
should take moderate exercise in the morning and after- 
noon, and use the baths of the river or rivulet of Jucaro, 
according to the opinion of the physician of the Colony 
who will visit them daily. 
The great stumbling block which presents itself to 
re-establish the convalescence in the Isle of Pines, in such 
a way that it should produce the salutary effects which 
we promise ourselves from the same, is the want of a sui- 
table location, to be able to house the patients with the 
ease, comfort and watchfulness which are required in their 
valetudinarian state, whereas there is no building what- 
soever which could be spared for that object. 
Whereas that, which is wanted for the purpose, should 
be of great dimensions so that its capacity may be ade- 
quate to receive an undetermined number of individuals, 
the result is, that if it should be built of stone and mortar 
according to all the rules of art, it would amount to a large 
sum which would weigh down the public treasury and 
besides take much time, not only to decide upon its buil- 
ding, but also to erect and complete the same. In the 
meantime, the sick soldier is deprived of the advantages 
which the said Island offers him for the healing of hisailings. 27 
It appears to me very easy to obviate this obstacle, 
only by constructing a wooden building adequate to house 
as many as one hundred men, together with the officers 
whom the Superior Authority may appoint to keep them 
in the discipline, order and regulations which they have 
to observe during their cure. The scheme which I am 
going to propose can be put in practice at a very small 
expense and without occasioning the smallest sacrifice to 
the Royal Treasury. Thanks to the inclination, good 
wishes and enthusiasm of the military Commander of the 
Colony D. Jos6 Antonio Morugan, to the generosity and 
cooperation of some inhabitants and landholders of that 
Island, the sick soldier will find there not only his health 
but also all the comforts desirable to enable him to live in 
the quietness which his sad situation requires. 
His Excellency the Captain General giving an order 
to the effect that every corps of infantry of those who 
constitute the army of the Island of Cuba should contri- 
bute five hundred Dollars out of the funds which they 
have at their own disposal, and the Lancers and Artillery 
two hundred and fifty each, let there be built immediately 
on the best and most ventilated spot of Nueva Gerona, a 
hall of earth and palmleaf covering one hundred varas 
long and ten wide with the corresponding sheds, and four 
appartments at the corners to serve as residences for the 
officers in command.- A large fence should encompass this 
building, and in its precinct should be located the kitchen, 
the well etc. 
In this large hall, free from dampness and with a good 
floor, being well protected against bad weather, although 
perfectly ventilated by the windows which should abound 
in its walls, can be housed from eighty to one hundred men, 
leaving about one vara betwen each cot and four or five in 
the midden to afford an entirely free and easy circulation. 
It would also be very useful to detach for that point 
some more galley slaves who ought to be workmen, 
amongst whom should be included some masons and car- 
penters, as the largest number of those who are there are 
weak and sickly, as will be shown by the documents which 
are attached to their sentences, although in consequence 
of the public health, the climate and temperature of the 
country, they are all working without having the smallest 
indisposition, and entering the hospital in large number. 28 
The mixture of soil which is used in the Isle of Pines 
for the construction of houses is firm, of great solidity and 
has an appearance almost, equal to that of masonry work, 
the thickness of the walls can be of twelve to fourteen in- 
ches, and they will last a very long time provided always that 
they should be protected from injury by rain, by means 
of sheds which add besides much convenience to the 
buildings. They should be composed of rows of stakes 
with palmleaves carefully united with pliable reeds strong 
enough for that object, arranged perpendicularly between a 
sufficient number of poles of hard wood with a strong heart, 
to he filled and covered on each side with two coats of 
earth mixed with Spanish grass, and then anointed with a 
good mixture of lime, sand and chalk which acquires after 
some length a surprising hardness. 
I have heard of several schemes directed towards the 
most important end of founding in Nueva Gerona a sani- 
tary establishment combining all the requisite conditions, 
but I can only speak with some accuracy of one of them 
which has been communicated to me since a few days, and 
to which I have dedicated some attention and time. 
The establishment to which I allude will, according to 
the basis of the scheme, combine all the advantages which 
might be wished. Numerous separate dwellings will be 
constructed, for the individuals w'ho have recourse to the 
Isle of Pines, with their family, in search of health and 
wish to remain entirely independent. It will also contain 
ample departments with the competent divisions for single 
persons. Also will be annexed to the establishment a 
hospital, baths, and an extensive plot of ground for gardens 
and recreation. 
After all that I have related about that country, it 
is undeniable that its temperature, climate and waters .are 
excellent for preserving health, prevent sickness and cure 
innumerable infirmities. In fact, rheumatic pains, syphil- 
itic and nervous affections, eruptions on the skin, diseases 
of the stomach or intestines, those of the liver and milt and 
other internal parts of the belly, those of the urinary pass- 
ages, the affections of the chest and the disorders of the 
womb, it being understood that none of all these should 
have gone so far as to disorganize some internal part, are 
cured with an admirable promptitude and in a permanent 
manner, as has been demonstrated by experience, 29 
In the case of a disorganization of a particular organ, 
we can unfortunately not expect that the complaint should 
disappear, but a marked alleviation can be obtained, and 
the sufferings become more tolerable, rendering in some 
measure the last moments of life more agreeable. 
I have managed to collect some practical observations, 
not only about the cases which I have seen personally on 
the said Island, but also those which have been within 
reach of the professors and private individuals who have 
resided there, and of which I will give a slight summary, 
in order to corroborate what I have thus far specified. 
When I took charge of that task, the Medical Doctor 
D. Juan Roig who was entrusted during two years with 
visiting the Military Hospital of the Island was asked 
officially for a medical notice about that spot, and answered 
textually as follows. The Isle of Pines lying at the South 
of Cuba, contains a small village named Nueva Gerona, 
encompassed by mountains of some height which protect 
the same against the harm which might happen from some 
eause or other. The streets are wide and well delineated, 
and their sandy bottom does not admit of dust or mud, which 
are so obnoxious for health; the temperature of said Island 
is variable, warm and dry from nine in the morning until 
seven in the evening, at which hour blows a refreshing 
breeze which is the delight of the inhabitants. The waters 
are potable, abounding in magnesia, at the beginning they 
are laxative and afterwards facilitate digestion and stimul- 
ate the appetite. Health is constant there, although 
sometimes gentle and intermittent fevers do make their 
appearance, when they are excited by the intemperance 
of the patients. The chronical diseases of the digestive 
tube are completely cured, observing the requisite diet. 
Nevralgies disappear by the use of the bathing in the 
neighboring river of Sierra de Casas, whose waters are mi- 
neral. I have had the opportunity of experimenting upon 
myself, for having suffered during more than fourteen 
years of a sciatical affection, I procured the re-establishment 
of my health, and some other persons who were suffering 
from the same cause, experienced the same benefif: asthma, 
colds and other incipient ailings of the chest are easily 
cured. Pains in the bones of syphilitic origin, rheuma- 
tisms and affections of the urinary organs obtain the same 
favorable result as well as consumption in its first period. 30 
as a fatal result is unavoidable when it has reached the 
second. With these antecedents I will say that the Isle 
of Pines is very appropriate for sending thither not only 
the convalescent patients but even the foreigners who re- 
quire to become acclimatized. During my stay there, I 
have not seen a single case of the fatal black vomit, nor 
did I hear that there had been any before. Thus it is, 
that the property of that soil and the salubrity of its waters 
constitute like a beneficial haven where the human naves 
may enter during the storms of the physical sufferings. 
Dr. Pedro J. Chaple, who is now physician of the said 
hospital has furnished me with the following observations. 
1st D. J. C. born in Havana, amanuensis of the 
department of accounts of Marine, about 22 years of age, 
came here sufferings from a consumption complicated with 
spitting of blood, with rather much coughing and difficult 
breathing; he was cured in 4 months. 
2d D. Pedro Aranda, born in Havana, watchman in 
one of the wards of the Military hospital of S. Ambrosio, 
came in the first period of consumption, suffering from a 
very abundant spitting of blood, and after having remained 
three months he was radically cured. 
3d Calixto Ricardo (Bluno) galley slave, left this 
military hospital where I treated him for a consumption 
of the lungs in its first period, but very much advanced; 
he is now living in the village, and cured. 
4th D. N. de la M. Commissary of one of the suburbs 
of Havana, came here suffering from a venereal affection, 
after having been in S. Diego de los Banos where he did 
not obtain any relief; he was cured here in a short time of 
his disease. 
5th Mrs. M. D. M. afflicted with consumption in its 
first period, arrived here about a' month and a half ago; to 
day she is almost cured having pretty much fattened up. 
This note was written on the 15th of June: I have 
had the pleasure of knowing and frequenting this lady, and 
her improvement in health and flesh has been constantly 
progressing, being now completely recovered. 
6th D. N. Mesa suffering from diarrheas and in a 
consumptive state, came here and finds himself to day 
much improved and fattened. 
The same as in the foregoing note. I have seen this 
individual almost daily: he travelled over, with the object of curing himself, the Mexican empire, the United States 
and several parts of the Island of Cuba. In none of those 
places was he ever so well as in Nueva Gerona; but the 
foolishness and irregularity of his conduct was such, that 
he at last became so much worse that after having been 
almost well, becoming weary, he left for Havana on the 
18th of July. In my opinion, the large intestines are ul- 
cerated on account of which I prescribed small injections 
of nitrate of silver. He did not use them, and returned 
to Nueva Gerona on the 6th of August. 
31 
7th Miss E. Gutierrez, of a nervous temperament, 
arrived here at the end of May suffering from an extreme 
difficulty in breathing, and apparently a consumption in 
its first period, extraordinary extenuation, cough, want 
of appetite, she was never attended by a doctor: to day she 
is entirely well, and fleshy, observing that her monthly 
courses which had stopped, reappeared shortly after arriv- 
ing here. In Havana she was attended by Dupierris. 
I have known and spoken with this young lady, and 
she is getting on well, although in consequence of the 
heavy rains and the surprise caused by seeing her family 
which arrived on this Island the 23d. of July, she had a 
slight attack of dispnea which subsided after two days, and 
she has not felt any more pains. 
8th D. Elias Castro, 18 years of age, of a bilious tem- 
perament, with a pulmonary idiosincrasy, is here since the 
beginning of July with consumption in its first period, but 
with simptoms which make it likely to be already in the 
second; the constant cough from which he suffered has 
disappeared, as well as the fever; notwithstanding whicli 
he had on the 30th of the same month an attack of hemor- 
rhage of the lungs. He was attended in Havana by Dr. 
Baez y Quintano. 
After another violent attack of the same kind, he left 
for Havana on the 9th of August in a deplorable state. 
9tli D. J. Quintana, with consumption in its first 
period, and very visible extenuation and dispnea, arrived 
here on the 16th of July: daily fever and want of appetite; 
the fever has disappeared, the dispnea has diminished, and 
the appetite has become excited. I have seen this patient 
and do not prognosticate any thing favorable for him. 
10th D. M. de la V. of a sanguine—nervous temper- 
ament, arrived by the end of June almost in the second 32 
period of consumption; to day he finds himself relieved, 
with appetite and somewhat fattened; he has notwithstan- 
ding expectorated saliva mixed with blood. 
This note was written on the 1st of August. He 
went to Havana on the 9th to embark for Spain. 
11th D. Jose Gutierrez, of more than fifty years of 
age arrived here in December of 1848 with consumption 
in its third period, he committed a thousand absurdities 
and was very imprudent in his diet. On the 27th of July 
he ate half of a guanabana and on the top of it a plate of 
rice and milk. At seven o’clock in the evening he was 
seized with violent coughing, and had an attack of bleeding 
of the lungs which put an end to his existence. 
12th D. Francisco Petit arrived here on the 16th of 
June: he suffered of tuberculous consumption; he finds 
himself to day 1st of August in the same state as when he 
arrived, if not more advanced. 
This individual died on the 10th of August. 
loth D. Antonio Gonzalez, born in Santander, came 
here on the 13th of May with a pretty strong hemorrhage 
of the lungs, cough, difficulty in breathing, and extreme 
extenuation. After a few days the hemorrhage ceased, 
the cough diminished, his appetite returned, and he conti- 
nued in good health and gaining in flesh until the 8th of 
August, when he left for Havana.—He used some inara- 
non. (A gum growing in Cuba, resembling the Arabic.) 
14th A colored man, belonging to general C. arrived 
here on the 4th of July in the 3d period of consumption; 
he never improved and died one month after his arrival. 
15th D. Bernardo Coya came in the beginning of July, 
being in the first period of consumption: to day he is en- 
tirely well, without any symptoms of his disease. 
D. Francisco Hernandez, contractor of the Military 
Hospital of the Isle of Pines, has furnished the following 
observations. 
1st D. Eusebio Febles, living in Batabano, suffered 
from pain in the side and was not bleeded and attended 
medically in proper time, on account of which the disease 
became chronic, and at the end of two months, he was in 
the second period of consumption. He arrived at the Isle 
of Pines with fever, diarrhea, partial perspiration, much 
cough, paleness and extraordinary extenuation. After 
having remained six months on the Island, where many 33 
people saw and spoke with him, as lie owns an estate on 
the same, he returned to his home well and healthy after 
having expectorated a large quantity of purulent saliva, 
and I believe even a bag with pus from the lungs, accor- 
ding to the description he makes of it. 
2d D. C. G. of the chaingang in Havana, after having 
suffered from an hemorrhage of the lungs, entered the hos- 
pital with erratic fever, hoarseness, constant coughing and 
he used to spit blood. He had had a gonorrhea which had 
been stopped violently; after a year he was almost well, 
the gonorrhea reappeared, and increased terribly; the same 
was cured with copaiba balsam, and had no bad results. 
After another year had elapsed, he was one night almost 
asphixiated for having slept in a room which was filled 
with smoke of burned rags; he was immediately bled on 
account of the great pain, oppression and hoarseness which 
he experienced, and the next day he resumed his occu- 
pations, without having been up to this day attacked 
again by any of his former ailings. 
3d A soldier, corneter in the regiment of Isabel II, 
came by order of his Coronel, from the interior of the Island 
of Cuba, where the same was stationed, to cure himself on 
this Island of an hemorrhage of the lungs of which he suf- 
fered, and which doubtlessly was caused by the instrument 
on which he played. He was rather hoarse, suffered from 
the chest and coughed when he entered the Hospital. The 
doctor only prescribed some potions, emollients, and a 
slight pectoral; with this method alone, after one month he 
was dismissed with a certificate to the effect that he was 
entirely well. 
4th A colored man, named Francisco, belonging to 
Dr. Puente y Franco, came to this Island to be cured of 
tetter, with which he was infested. He did not observe 
here any diet nor was he under medical treatment, and 
having called a doctor, it was discovered that the tetter 
had been repelled, and was replaced by a very acute liver- 
complaint, accompanied by disorders and complications in 
the principal intestines; he was very seriously ill when he 
had recourse to the dQctor; small and concentrated pulse, , 
cold perspiration, anxiety, rattling in the throat, and diffi- 
cult coughing, meteorized belly, tumors and general swe- 
lling; he could not be in an other position than seated on 
a chair, and resting his head on a pillow on the back of an 34 
other. The physician ordered that he should receive the 
extreme unction, and only prescribed some caustics in the 
afternoon of the day on which he saw him. On the follo- 
wing morning he was better, a reaction took place, the 
pulse became regular, the caustics suppurated, the expec- 
toration was easier and more abundant, and he had copious 
serous evacuations mixed with bile; on the third day an 
antispasmodic potion was administered to him, which 
allayed the nervous symptoms which he showed. The 
tetter reappeared gradually on the fourth day, and he went 
on improving, fattened up and he became able to return 
to Havana. 
5th D. E. M. who is now second lieutenant of the 
Regiment of la Habana, came from the Hospital of San 
Ambrosio, where he was many months suffering from an 
enteritis or chronical nervous inflammation of the intesti- 
nes, which reduced him to a state of marasmus, whereas 
not being able to digest, he ejected by vomiting and stools 
whatever he ate. He had fever, and the pneumo-gastric 
nerve which had become affected during his ailings, occa- 
sioned a dry and constant cough, which joined to his pale- 
ness and extenuation gave him the aspect of a consumptive 
person, although he was not really so. Notwithstanding 
all this, M. was cured and he returned to Havana much 
fattened, so much so that on passing through Batabanb, he 
went to see the Military Commander, who upon his arrival 
had noticed him, excusing him from alighting from his 
carriage, from which he came supported by two soldiers to 
prevent him from falling, and that gentleman could not 
recognize him when he saw him, and asked him. Do tell 
me that other young soldier who was very sick when 
he passed through here, and was carried between two sol- 
diers, what has become of him? 
D. Francisco Vald6s, D. Jos6 Reyes and D. Nicolhs 
Hernandez with more or less symptoms of affection of the 
chest, have returned to their homes, well and sound. 
D. N. Cabrera went away in the same state as when 
he came. 
D. Diego Nunez, D. Dias customhouse officer and a 
negro woman of Poev, could not be cured on account of 
their disease being so much • advanced, and died a short 
time after being on the Island. 
In consequence of having heard the waters of the ri- 35 
ver of Sierra de Casas much extolled and miracles repor* 
ted of them, I sent on the 2d of June an official message 
to D. Miguel Pinet, Vice Director of the Corps of Military 
Sanity, mentioning to him that it would be very useful, in 
order to test the virtue of these waters, to send there 4 
soldiers, of those wdio were considered as incurable in the 
Military Hospital: one with ulcers on the legs, another with 
tetter, a third one with rheumatic pains and a fourth with 
tertiary syphilis, and if they had used the baths of San 
Diego without any favorable result it would be so much 
the better. That in case his Excellency the Captain Ge- 
neral should accede to this petition, they ought to bring 
with them a succinct medical notice of their ailings; and 
the curative method employed to counteract them. 
Consequently on the 25th of the same month, those pa- 
tients arrived, and the report which they handed me is as 
follows. 
Military secretary ?s office. Report about the four 
individuals who have been selected by the Chief Surgeon 
of the Military Hospital of San Ambrosio of this place, in 
virtue of the order of his Excellency the Captain General, 
dated the 14th of this month. 
Private Diego Marquez, of the first company of the 
Regiment cle Espana, suffers from a venereal ulcer in the 
nasal membrane, having been thirteen months in the 2d 
ward .of surgery in this Hospital, until lately, -when being 
ordered to take the baths of San Diego, he spent previously 
fourteen days in the 1st surgical ward where he took the 
ptisan of Carlos Musitano; afterwards in San Diego he bat- 
hed in Templado and Paila, he took injections, but not- 
withstanding, he only experienced a slight improvement. 
Another Angel Mendar. of the 3d company of the 
Regiment de la Habana, has been one year in the general 
ward, suffering from tetter; like the foregoing he was trans- 
ferred to the 1st Surgical ward, and took the same ptisan; 
after the waters of San Diego used in-and externally; he 
has not bettered at all. 
Another Francisco Carrioso, of the 1st company of la 
Corona., suffers since four years from exostosis in the head, 
and rheum: during that time he has been almost perma- 
nently in the 1st surgical ward; he took also ptisan like the 
others and the waters of San Diego without success. 
Another Roque Piedra, of the riflemen lancers, has been two years in the Hospital suffering from an ulcer on the 
shinbone, having been in the general ward, took ptisan 
like the others and afterwards the baths of San Diego; he 
is in the same state as when he went. Havana 20th June. 
1849.-—Nicolas Jose Gutierrez. For certified copy.—Pedro 
Esteban. 
36 
As soon as these individuals arrived there they en- 
tered the Hospital, and after three days’rest, they began 
to take the baths of the river Sierra de Casas: at the end 
of five days I had prepared for them at the source of the 
rivulet of Jucaro a little well where they might take the 
baths of natural soft water, so as to alternate with those 
of the river. We have been disappointed by having much 
rain in the months of June and July, whereas it has been 
necessary to suspend bathing for many days; but not- 
withstanding the few that they have been able to take, 
such an improvement is visible in them, that I consider 
them to day as entirely well. They came with me to this 
city to join their respective regiments. 
With the use only of the waters of the river and brook 
externally, and that of the well of the Comandancia inter- 
nally, I have succeeded in driving away affections of such 
long standing, and which had almost become inveterate. 
The patient with the ulcer on the leg is the only one 
who received any assistance from art to accelerate the ci- 
catrization of the same, whereas I ordered it to be cauter- 
ized every third day with dissolved nitrate of silver, at the 
same time that he made use of the baths. The same is 
not yet completely cicatrizated but it can not be long 
before it will be healed for ever, if he is watched very scru- 
pulously on his body, being attended personnallv by the 
professor who has been designed for him, and taking par- 
ticular care that the said ulcer should not be allowed to 
extend itself, thereby compelling the patient to return to 
the use of the waters of the Isle of Pines. 
In the case of ocena or ulcer in the nose and that of 
exostosis in the head which has entirely disappeared, the 
patients require also some care and watching from their 
immediate officers as well as from the physicians of their 
respective corps, for they have got accustomed more than 
is good for them to the hospital life, and it would not be 
extraordinary if some day they should manage to enjoy its 
advantages again. The chaingang prisoners Aniceto Padron, Jos4 Ruiz, 
Josd Ramos, Ramon Romero, Felipe Vidal, Jos6 Nercey, 
Teodoro Santa Cruz, Agustin de Orta and Federico Uturria 
have been designated to go to that place with the object 
of recruiting their health, whereas all went with affections 
of the chest, as is evident from the official documents which 
accompanied their sentences, and all are now in good 
health without complaining nor requiring to go to the 
hospital. 
The last of them, Uturria, embarked on board of the 
same packet in which I went to undertake my commission 
in the Isle of Pines, and it was necessary to carry him to 
the Hospital between two men. He arrived in a deplora- 
ble state of decline, leanness and with diarrheas, at the 
same time he had an obstinate cough, gave up blood 
through the mouth and had colliquative sweatings. After 
one month and a half he was dismissed almost entirely 
well, but he remains without working, taking a moderate 
exercise and using milk until his cure will be consolidated. 
Vicente Correo was sent to the same Island for a dis- 
order of the eyes which was inveterate and gave him much 
trouble. After a few days he was cured and employed 
like the others on the Public Works. 
The Parish Priest was during four years suffering vio- 
lently from the stomach without being able to find relief 
for his pains, his vomiting and the acidity which he 
thought was corroding that organ; he had no appetite 
whatever, his aversion for all kinds of food having reached 
such a point that only their smell or sight caused him nau- 
seousness and vomiting. After a few days of having taken 
charge of the said parsonage he began to improve and gain 
in flesh, not having felt any more inconvenience during 
the two years he remained on the spot. 
The sexton who attends to the same parish suffered 
from a violent ematemesis (blood vomiting) in two distinct 
Occasions, and on the Isle of Pines he has always found 
belief, being at present very stout and without the slightest 
unpleasant feeling to afflict his existence. 
Mrs. de Costa, after a laborious delivery, contracted 
an indisposition of the stomach and intestines which 
brought her to the point of death; her attenuation was ex- 
traordinary and she could hardly stand up. She arrived 
on the Island, and after having been there a short time, 
37 38 
her husband wrote me as follows. «You know already 
from the description I made to you of the complaint of 
my wife, how delicate and gradual her convalescence must 
be, but she has only spent one month here, and to day I 
have the pleasure to advise you of our return to Havana, 
on the 6th inst; she is completely recovered and in the 
best state of health she ever enjoyed, without any other 
influence or remedies than the waters and temperature of 
this Isle of Pines, which is quite notorious.)) 
I certainly saw that lady on the 5th of June, the day 
before her departure, when she arrived to embark from her 
plantation of las Nuevas, where she had remained one 
month, and she was quite fleshy, had a good complexion, 
much appetite, and was in the usual good spirits which 
are a consequence of good health. 
Mrs. de N. arrived on the Island on the 23d of July. 
In consequence of sad impressions produced on her mind 
by the death of a brother, and a laborious delivery which 
took place under those circumstances, she lost her appetite 
entirely, so far that the very sight of food caused her re- 
pugnance; she was also taken with a pain in the right side 
which corresponded with her back, troubling her very 
much and occasioning a cough and some difficulty in 
breathing. She resolved to go to that Island, and after 
having remained there a few days, her appetite came back, 
the cough disappeared and she recovered the animation 
and light spirits which accompany a complete state of 
health. 
I could quote many more cases of almost miraculous 
cures verified on the Isle of Pines; but they do not deserve 
entire confidence, whereas the persons who relate them are 
without knowledge of the art of healing, and their narra- 
tives want the required correctness to give them credit, 
and they also participate in the marvellousness and exag- 
geration to which we are naturally enclined when we under 
take to praise those things which captivate and enrap- 
ture us. 
Notwithstanding the good qualities and excellence of 
that climate, there appear in the season of rains, when they 
are very abundant, as they have been in the months of 
June and July, some intermittent fevers, but plain, slight 
and free from all complications; by taking a simple purge 
and a .few light doses of quinine, they yield easily and do 39 
not leave behind them any disagreeable consequence. You 
will never see there those obstinate intermittent fevers 
accompanied by alarming symptoms denoting affections of 
the brain, the lungs, liver, milt etc and which show them- 
selves in marshy and miasmatic regions, reaping a multi- 
tude of victims and leaving for inheritance, numberless 
horrible sufferings which embitter the existence of those 
who experience them. 
It appears difficult, not to say impossible, that all the 
reported facts being certain, and even more remarkable 
the immense number of those that have been omitted, a 
spot so priviledged and favored by nature should have re- 
mained in such a state of backwardness and shocking 
abandonment. But as every fact may have its explana- 
tion, this one has his own, whereas one of the many reasons 
of its backwardness may be found in its isolation and sepa- 
ration of the Island of Cuba,*of which it depends and to 
which it has until a short time ago done much harm, that 
Island being a shelter for pirates, which circumstance also 
drove away all those who should have wished to establish 
themselves on the same, cut off from all society, frequented 
by malefactors against whom they had no means of defen- 
ce, being deprived of protection, of resources to create 
business, of inhabitants to encourage the same, and even 
missing spiritual care, one must acknowledge that it would 
not have been prudent in the few members of the incipient 
population of Cuba, to go and settle the desert Isle of Pines 
without having a defined interest in doing so. It is thus 
not extraordinary that the same should have remained 
abandoned for about a century, even after having been 
conceded to D. Hernando de Pedroso in 1630, whilst in 
1716 it had not yet begun to become populated. 
But having adjudged the same to themselves in that 
year Messrs. Nicolas and Francisco Duarte, descendants 
of Mr. Pedroso, the first took possession of the Northern 
part and the second of Punta Este: wishing to settle the 
same he sent there for that purpose a Mr. Gelabert with 
ten head of cattle and fourteen mares. Eleven years after, 
he had seventy five head of cattle and some other animals, 
when On account of the death of D. Francisco, his widow 
made a contract with her brother in law D. Nicolas, by 
which the said gentleman remained sole owner of the whole 
Island or of the two Islands. Thus it is that the new owner having begun the settlement in the Southern one, 
and also wishing to extend the same to the Northern, he 
recommended to Mr. Gelabert, to form there and near 
Punta Este, the two farms known to day by the name of 
San Juan and Sta Fe. He sent besides D. Francisco Abella 
to create five more farms, thus dividing in seven primitive 
estates the entire part which he appropriated to himself, 
intending one estate for each of his seven sons, and the 
Southern part which he bought, he left undivided, but 
with the option of one seventh part of the same to each 
of them. 
40 
This gentleman made his will in 1750. In 1760, his 
sons having taken possession of the said estates, each one 
of them busied himself in improving and settling his res- 
pective part, so that there were already some inhabitants, 
and three years afterwards, that is to say in 1763. D. Fran- 
cisco Javier Duarte, son of D. Nicolas, solicited to he and 
was appointed .Capitan a Guerra, this being the first time 
that the Government took any part in the business of the 
Island, or interfered with the same, nominating a person 
to represent the same there. But this gentleman having 
much business to attend to, and his son being able to take 
his place in that station, he transferred his powers to him. 
As however both interested themselves in the improve- 
ment of their Island, D. Francisco solicited the permission 
to import colonists, and his son begged the Bishop to ap- 
point a parish priest to attend to the spiritual wants of 
the inhabitants, who being but few, the petition of D. Do- 
mingo was not granted, and his father was denied the 
permission for colonization which he had solicited. Not- 
withstanding all this, those gentlemen through their in- 
fluence and relations, succeeded in bringing over several 
families, in spite of the fear which was inspired to them 
by the pirates who frequently plundered and robbed those 
poor defenceless inhabitants. However, such was the 
grief which they felt at the refusal of the Government, that 
D. Domingo resigned his command in 1765 and D. Andres 
Acosta succeeded him with the title of Captain. 
In 1766 the pirates invaded that Island, and as usually 
plundered the same, without the local authority being able 
to prevent it, for want of men and means, as the Messrs. 
Duarte had explained in their petitions, and who as we 
have said, through their influence and relations, bad suc- 41 
ceeded in bringing there a few families who dedicating 
themselves to the rearing of cattle, had increased the stock 
of the forms, introduced hogs and were settling new 
establishments. Thus, in 1707, the Island contained 
already 76 inhabitants, besides a few sick persons who 
came to take the baths to cure themselves of diseases of 
the liver, the stomach and the chest. There were also many 
adventurers, who out of fear for the punishment which 
they justly deserved, escaped from here and went to take 
refuge there, where they lived at the expense of the inha- 
bitants, who, some out of compassion, and others for 
unknown motives, gave them shelter; but Mr. Acosta, 
convinced of the harm done by those bad guests, asked and 
obtained authorization to expel them. It is thus, that 
this nomadic population is not counted in the number ol 
inhabitants. The Island was in this state, when D. Juan 
Terry y Lacy arrived, and after having travelled over and 
examined the same, lie lamented with reason the state of 
abandonment in which it was, being even deprived of all 
spiritual comfort. However, the population continued to 
increase slowly until in 1809, when Mr. Acosta, who was 
then owner of the form of Sta Fe, allowed some houses to 
be built, granting for.that object as many as 12 lots, on 
the spot known to day by the name of Bosque cle Mangos, 
which trees are planted in the yards of the houses built by 
the inhabitants, who contributed as many as five or six. 
And being desirous to favor the development of the' growing 
village, in spite of the constant struggle with the pirates 
and malefactors, a few years later he had a church built 
in which his son I). Ignacio officiated, whilst even before 
that time he confessed and exhorted the neighbors; this 
parish was that called Quivicany but Mr. Acosta succeeded 
in having a priest established there. 
This was the only village that existed in 1826, and 
was situated near the centre of the plantation, distant less 
than one mile from the thermal spring- where the sick 
people went to cure themselves, and where is now situated 
the bath called Sta. Rita, which is about two leagues to 
the South of the landing place of the river of Sta Fe, and 
in May of that year, D. Clemente Delgado y Espana arrived 
there accompanied by an adjutant, a corporal and six 
soldiers with a doctor. He was commissioned to establish 
in the Island the Colony Reina Amalia, and after having 42 
seen and examined the spot, the Government not owning 
lands there, Mr. Delgado succeeded in getting from D. An- 
dres Acosta, owner of the farm named Sierra de Casas, the 
offer of 112 caballerias of ground, on thfe West bank of the 
river called to day Nueva Gerona, fit for cultivation and 
at a short distance from the sea, to be distributed among 
families of farmers. The new Commander accepted in 
name of the Government, as was his duty, came back here, 
and having come to anagreement with the Captain Gene- 
ral and the Superintendent in a verbal interview, be retur- 
ned to the Island a few months afterwards, carrying with 
him twelve soldiers, one artillerist and a corporal, fourteen 
chaingang prisoners, one small cannon, some ammunition 
and armament; instruments and tools to fell trees, prepare 
ground for sowing, building and provisions to subsist, as 
there had not been found on the Island roots nor seeds to 
sow or plant sweet potatoes, plantains, vegetables and 
grain. 
Consequently, with this force and these tools, did he 
begin in 1727, to fell trees, in order to lay out the village 
of Nueva Gerona, whose first buildings were 4 large halls 
of mixed soil and palmleaf, the first being appropriated to 
the Commander and his officers, who were the adjutant 
and the doctor; in the second the troops were lodged; the 
third was designed as a prison for the chaingang, and the 
fourth served as a general store, the different ones being 
christened by their inhabitants with the pompous names 
of Vatican and Quirinal, whose humble architecture con- 
trasted much with the monumental buildings which were 
the pride of proud Rome! 
It will be easy to understand the just reasons which 
the Commander had to lay out the present village of Nue- 
va Gerona where it now exists, whereas he had no other 
locality, that one being besides very appropriate and 
commodious for the intended object, the small craft used 
by the government to transport provisions and men and 
keep up the necessary correspondence, being able to reach 
by this river as far as two or three cuadras (a cuadra is a 
distance of one hundred varas) from the growing village, 
and it was necessary in Sta. Fe to travel four or five miles 
by land, which expenses and loss of time were too burden- 
some for the Government and onerous to the new inhabi- 
tants. Besides this, Sierra de Casas was haunted by the 43 
pirates, and it would not have been easy to watch the same 
from the old village, which was a reason the more to fear 
a landing, as besides the pirates there were Columbian 
privateers who infested those waters. 
Moreover the spot ceded to establish the Colony was 
near by, and the capital being situated there, it was easy 
for the colonists to provide themselves in the same writh 
all the necessary articles, it being also more convenient to 
them to carry there the produce of their industry or labor 
which at the same time was indispensable to the village. 
Thus, the selection could not tte entirely free, these cir- 
cumstances contributing to have the same located not 
where it ought to have been, but where it was possible to 
do so: and being situated between two hills at the leeward 
of a river whose marshy banks shelter troublesome insects 
and disgusting reptiles, the sojourn there became disagree- 
able and less healthy than on any other point of the Island. 
This disadvantageous location contributed somewhat to 
the backwardness in which the same is still, wdiereas since 
that date the Island, whose population was of about 300 
persons, increased little, enjoying already the protection of 
the government, which appropriated a vessel to regulate 
and facilitate communications, and offered land to the far- 
mers who should wish to locate themselves there, cons- 
tructed a Church, besides the Barracks, House of correc- 
tion, Government’s offices, an apothecary shop and store, 
and caused several inhabitants to erect buildings, in con- 
sequence of which a general country store, and a bakery 
were started, and a landing place was prepared. This 
already inspired some confidence, although some fear still 
existed on account of the pertinacity of the privateers who 
had once made a prisoner of the Commandant himself: not- 
withstanding all this, the Government succeeded in sen- 
ding to the lands which were given to the same, some fa- 
milies of colored people who emigrated from Florida, and 
to whom some ground was made a present of, besides a 
small pension to .each of the heads of families who went to 
establish themselves on the spot designated to day by the 
name of Colonosu Those, although with very small re- 
sources, have cultivated the soil, some work as carpenters 
and masons, the women are laundresses, and it is pleasing 
to see that they generally speak English, French and 
Spanish, know to read and write, and it may be said that 44 
they are indebted for all this to the cure of their parents, 
who are the only teachers who instruct them, whilst all 
witlV very few exceptions are of an exemplary conduct. 
Would to God that there were colonies of white people as 
well organized and sustained! 
But the causes enumerated so far are not the only 
obstacles which the development of this interesting Island 
has met with; there are others, and I must point them out, 
in order that it should be known why, notwithstanding its 
real merit, it has not been able to thrive, the principal of 
all being, without any doubt, the want of population in 
Cuba. The difficulty in the communications, the comple- 
te ignorance, although the same is excusable, of the phy- 
sicians who have not known the resources which afford 
the rich springs contained in the famous Evangelista, and 
even the treasures offered to the husbandman and peasant 
as well by the nature of the soil as by the facility of irrigation. 
The Columbian pirates have also much contributed 
to keep back the industrial development of the Island, 
capturing several of the boats which were carrying on the 
trade during the first years after the creation of the Colony. 
It is thus not to be wondered at that it should have re- 
mained almost stationary or at least making very slow 
progress, notwithstanding the reports of the Commandants, 
the recommendation of some people who had been cured 
there and the sayings of some rather unknown physician. 
I however wished to have an opportunity of repeating the 
observation which I had made in the year 1826 and which 
so much excited my curisosity, that I did not neglect any 
one that seemed to offer me a chance, until in 1844 a 
patient presented himself to me who was fit to try the 
scientifical truth which I was looking for, and there being 
already a railroad as far as the beach of Bataband, wit- 
hout any fears of robbers on the way nor want of lodgings 
on the same, nor risk of pirates, depending also upon the 
certainty that the Guairo (small boat) of the Government 
left on an appointed day, that the village of Nueva Gerona 
contained some inhabitants, and had a church, apothecary 
shop, hospital, graveyard, soldiers and houses to receive 
the visitors, public shops which if not very well provided, 
as there were several of them, could furnish, I will not say 
all the articles wanted, but at least some of the most in- 
dispensable ones, I obtained that one patient should go. and on the strength of his information two more went, and 
then I went myself, which had for result that one or other 
unfortunate being sentenced to death continued to go, and 
these sentences being almost all annulled, it made me 
think about seeing a steamer* established, and this wish 
of mine was fulfilled without his own knowledge by D. 
Manuel Calvo, who brought on the 15th of September 1850 
the steamer Oubano:to the river of Nueva Gerona and 
continued to make one weekly trip. The population of 
the Island amounted then already to one thousand souls, 
a little more or less. That day should never be forgotten 
by the inhabitants, since from then dates their true pros- 
perity; because if Guttemberg, without any doubt, succee- 
ded by his invention in diffusing and copying the thought, 
Fulton with his, has made that those copies should reach 
even farther than the sparks of the steamer are flying. 
Thus it is that there being regularity, more comfort and 
security in the passage, arriving on the same day of leaving 
from here to sleep conveniently in Nueva Gerona, it is 
evident that finding the passage easy there should be no 
want of passengers. To which is to be added that Mr. 
Calvo planned a new business which required hands and a 
building for the preparation of spirits of turpentine, var- 
nishes etc. This gave a direct impulse and an even lar- 
ger indirect one to the Island, because being gratified to 
see an easy way of bringing there patients who could not 
be scientifically saved here, and Mr. Calvo being flattered 
to see me patronizing his steamer, we soon became acquain- 
ted and entered into a cordial friendship which I believe 
to be loyal, as my professional interest identified itself 
with his industry: this friendship although of short dura- 
tion, has not been fruitless, for it was owing to the same 
that Mr. Calvo, upon my request, not only created a small 
company with silent partners to establish the thermal bath 
which exists to day in Sta Fe, but also built a small ham- 
let of mixed soil and palm leaf, which on account of its 
bad condition was replaced by a better one more elegant 
arid better laid out, on more adequate ground. 
And this has not been the only beneficial result of 
our friendship, for through the same I obtained that ano- 
ther company on the same plan should be started, which 
company bought Mr. Calvo’s steamer, affected exclusi- 
vely to the service of the island. 46 
But whereas all created beings grow, and their wants 
increase in proportion to their development, thus, by its 
natural increase, the growing village requires every day 
new industries which have to satisfy the wants which the 
hands of time, assisted by the beneficial influence of vivi- 
fying steam, are originating, for which reason is wanted 
more movement, more impulse than that which can be 
communicated to day to the same by a single vessel, slow 
in its gait, cramped in its dimensions, and exposed to want 
frequent and urgent repairs, if it w'as pushed too hard: and 
as during the last ten years the population of the Island 
has been doubled, and the same becomes every day more 
renowned by its hygienical and medical properties, the 
small bathing place which was made is insufficient, nor are 
the small and inconvenient dwellings which wrere cons- 
tructed at the beginning adequate to what is required, nor 
are there carriages enough to convey the bathers and sick 
persons, who flock in from alb quarters; foreseeing thus 
that all which has been done thus far could not satisfy the 
present exigencies, and as such imperious wants should 
not be left exposed to the risk of a speculative forethought 
it has been thought proper to stimulate the philantropy 
of the public in order that it should contribute with its 
knowledge and with the necessary capital, and in its own 
interest take part in an anonimous company which having 
for object to satisfy public necessities, should do it by as- 
sisting suffering humanity, furnishing at the same time 
new industries to a growing country, in its interest, creat- 
ing by itself elements proper to secure the capital invested 
retributing the same with a moderate interest, which 
should be an object of pride to those who have had a 
share in the scheme on account of its noble end. 
Thus, based on these principles, was promoted the 
Company called Fomento Pinero in which took part without 
resistance the illustrated, influential and generous persons 
who got information about the same, and although the 
events of 1857, at which time the same was started, kept 
its progress somewhat back, it has notwithstanding gone 
ahead, although slowly, with a pretty firm step, enjoying 
the satisfaction of having created the necessary elements 
to complete its development and further progress, whereas 
besides having caused a new and elegant village to appear 
in front of an old and humble hamlet which was so unfit 47 
to house sick persons, it is occupied in enlarging, exten- 
ding and improving the baths which are so much needed 
for the visitors. By its solicitude has been laid out a fine 
high road which the Government has facilitated, construc- 
ting two solid bridges to ensure the communication be- 
tween Nueva Gerona and the new hamlet of Santa F6, 
which are the two only ones which are in existence. The 
same, together with the inhabitants has paid for another 
bridge and possesses a fine and convenient road to reach 
the new landing place on the river. The same has contri- 
buted to the construction of a steamer which will satisfy 
the wants of the travellers, as it affords comfort even to 
the poorer classes, and security for all. The same is oc- 
cupied in constructing fine, substantial and elegant houses, 
whose prices will be within reach of the most humble for- 
tunes. The same will facilitate the communications by 
reducing all modes of transportation to the lowest possible 
standard. And whilst a church is being constructed, the 
visitors can already depend upon an oratory large enough 
to satisfy the imperious necessity which is felt by pious 
souls, and under its patronage exist to day a magnificent 
hotel and a large private hospital provided with a good 
doctor and surgeon, an apothecary shop and all the instru- 
ments and fixtures which may be required for patients of 
all ages and conditions. * All of which has been done in 
virtue of the brilliant results obtained, notwithstanding 
the want, until a short time since, of the most indispensa- 
ble elements, these results being exclusively due to the 
temperature and waters of the Isle of Pines, whose compo- 
sition, ascertained and known is as follows. 
Batli or St». Rita or thermal of Santa F6. 
WATER—1 LITRE. 
Temperature of the water 32 centigrade. 
Carbonic Acid free .. 00025 of a litre. 
Carbonate of Lime 00717 of a gram. 
Carbonate of Magnesia 00084 
Sulphate of Lime anhidrd 00140 
Sulphate of Magnesia anhidrd 00062 
Sulphate of Soda anhidrd 00073 
Chlorure of Sodium 00063 
Peroxide of Iron ... 00011 48 
Thermal Spring- of Malpais (a) Bath of Boctor Diaz. 
WATER—1 LITRE. 
Temperature of the water 34 centigrade. 
Carbonic acid free . 00100 of a litre. 
Carbonate of Lime .’ 00618 
Carbonate of Magnesia 00044 
Sulphate of Lime anhidrd 00280 
Chlorure of Chalcium 00171 
Chlorure of Sodium 00048 
Peroxide of Iron 00026 
01186 
Water of the Pocito (Santa F6.) 
WATER—1 LITRE. 
Carbonic Acid free 00025 
Carbonate of Lime 00875 
Carbonate of Magnesia 00o88 
Sulphate of Lime anhidrd 00040 
Chlorure of Sodium 00114 
Chlorure of Chalcium 00120 
Peroxide of Iron 00020 
01357 
Water of Cunagua. 
WATER—1 LITRE. 
Carbonic Acid free 00015 of a litre. 
Carbonate of Lime 00072 grain. 
Carbonate of Magnesia 00106 
Chlorure of Chalcium and Sodium 00052 
00230 
Ojos de D. CrisldbaL (Santa Ft*.) 
WATER—1 LITRE. 
Carbonic Acid free 00050 
Carbonate of Lime 00876 
Carbonate of Magnesia 00088 
Chlorure of Sodium 00171 
Chlorure of Chalcium 00120 
Peroxide of Iron '. 00007 
01262 
Xueva Gerona. Bath del Arroyo. 
WATER—1 LITRE. 
Carbonic-iAcid free 00050 of a litre. 
Carbonate of Lime 00927 
Carbonate of Magnesia 00176 
Sulphate of Lime anhidrd 00070 
Sulphate of Soda anhidrd 00073 
Chlorure of Sodium 00228 
Chlorure of Chalcium 00363 
Chlorure of Magnesia 00045 
Peroxide of Iron 00005 
01884 49 
Agua de Magnesia. (Santa F6.) 
WATER—1 LITER. 
Carbonic Acid free 
small quantity 
undetermined. 
Carbonate of Lime 00772 gram. 
Carbonate of Magnesia 00176 
Chlorure of Chalcium 00114 
Chlorure of Magnesia 00045 
Chlorure of Sodium 00060 
Peroxide of Iron 00005 
01172 
August of 1863. 
The simplicity of those waters inspired me for a long 
time with the idea of not publishing their analysis, for 
[ had the well founded fear that their singular medicinal 
virtues should be denied and disputed; but having to sa- 
tisfy the public and professional anxiety, I had to avoid 
that my frank way of proceeding should be misinterpreted, 
and that it should be believed, or that they had not been 
examined or that their analysis was kept secret out of ma- 
lice. To day that the facts, so numerous and repeated as 
well as variegated, are able to answer victoriously to theo- 
ries deducted from erroneous principles, I have thought 
that my fears were unfounded, and the analysis having- 
been repeated and amplified, I present the same to the 
public such as I have received the same described, from 
a friend who, to oblige me, asked for it, and obtained it 
from the very learned and reverend Fathers Escolapios, 
who took charge of doing so with the intelligence which 
characterizes them and the exactitude which they are 
able to obtain by the good collection of instruments 
and reactives in their possession, and which is necessary 
to satisfy the exigencies of science. It is desirable and 
even necessary to repeat in different years and seasons 
the said analysis, whereas it is not enough to have seen 
and observed for the space of 38 years which I have de- 
voted to their study, without having noticed any differ- 
ence in their properties and effects, to conclude that there 
is no variation produced in the course of time in the solids 
and liquids which compose the terrestrial globe, when it 
is a supreme law of nature that the different elements 
which compose the same are constantly varying, and this 
variation has been seen already many times marked in an 
infinite number of well known fountains or springs; and 
whereas what interests us most is to know and appreciate 50 
in the present state of things their medicinal or hygienical 
virtues, let him who choses go now to Santa Fe, where he 
will he able to see and observe a number of patients, of 
whom every one may offer a pretty interesting case, 
taking into account the nature and period of their dis- 
eases, which may be compared with the analogous cases 
described by me, and this comparative study will, if not 
suffice, at least be of some use to do justice to my asser- 
tions. The voyage is easy, not very expensive and one 
may already depend upon hotels in Nueva Gerona and 
Santa Fe, where besides are also to be had carriages, 
which if not elegant, are at least very strong and the 
roads are pretty good. This practical and comparative 
study at the same time will be sufficient to form one’s own 
opinion, which is the most satisfactory, and I am not the 
one who is less anxious for it, because from this scientific 
investigation, being correctly made and published with 
frankness, will appear with all the brilliancy of truth all 
what I have said here, being able to repeat what I pu- 
blished in an article, without fear of exaggeration, saying: 
«that the waters and climate of the Isle of Pines, as a spot 
of temporary residence, are superior to all the bathing pla- 
ces known until this day, not only in the Island of Cuba 
but in every country in the world.)) Because, in general, 
all the medicinal waters used and recommended, are so, 
as being specific, their action being limited to counteract 
one or other determined disease, as for example, the waters 
of Bareges are unsurpassed for the treatment of wounds, 
besides some other ailings, but very dangerous for pletho- 
ric persons, and above all for the excitements of the brain. 
Those of Vichy for anemy gastralgy and constipation, and 
some other affections which denote the want of physiolo- 
gical condition in the blood. Those of Saint Honore for 
the affections of the skin, for nervous ailments, those of 
Plombieres which are commendable for the diseases of the 
womb, for catarrhs of the bladder etc. Prague as well as 
Vernet for the chest etc. But, these waters can neither 
be used in all seasons nor are their properties so various, 
and it should be necessary in some cases of complicated 
diseases to have recourse to several springs successively, 
whilst those of the Isle of Pines have been given with 
equal success in cases of truly 'complicated diseases in 
some individuals, and even in really opposite affections, 51 
as are urinary secretions, calcareous and urical, stubborn 
constipations and obstinate diarrheas, vomitings sympto- 
matic of pregnancy, and those produced by cardialgy, 
hematury and Brigtitis, nervous pains and paralysis, etc. 
with an advantage even over some known and useful 
baths, as those of San Diego, Madruga and Marianao, 
which can not lie used the whole year round, whilst those 
of the Island can be so. Whereas, as well in Nueva Ge- 
rona as in Sta. Fe, patients are bathing in Spring and 
Summer, in Fall and Winter, this last season being pre- 
ferable in every respect. And, although lately there have 
fortunately been ascertained in some waters of the Mont 
d’Or medicinal properties efficacious enough to counteract 
the tuberculous consumption, there have been patients 
who have left them to go and visit other springs adapted 
to the concomitant affections which those of the Mont 
d’ Or do not cure nor alleviate. And as it is very interes- 
ting for suffering humanity to know what can relieve or 
cure the same, I make free although it will add a little to 
the length of this work, to add the following interesting 
' notice, taken from the Medical Gazette of Paris, published 
on the 9th of April of the present year, in which Dr. Jules 
Mascarel expresses himself thus. 
GENERAL THERAPEUTICS. 
New investigations about the (cure) curative action 
OF THE WATERS OF MONT d’Or. 
It is a fact admitted by the greater part of practical 
men that the cure of pulmonary consumption is not ab- 
solutely impossible. This idea emitted more than twenty 
years ago by Dr. Cruveilhier in his public lectures, deli- 
vered in the Faculty of Medecine in Paris was in a certain 
way no more than the corollary of the more ancient as- 
sertion of Morton who said; the tubercles would be the una- 
voidable perdition of humanity, if they condemned the same 
absolutely to die. «Phthysiology without exercitations of 
Phthysis: London 1689.» 
The illustrious Sydenham also expressed himself in 
almost the same terms:, ((however, the opinions of those 
two respectable English practitioners lost almost all their 
strength, when at the beginning of this century, Laennec made known to the medical world, by means of ausculta- 
tion, the line which divides the pulmonary catarrh simple 
from the tuberculous catarrh.)) 
The author, notwithstanding this, continues to ex- 
plain and demonstrate not only the possibility but the 
reality of the dissolution of the tubercles. And to inspire 
greater confidence in what he says, quotes the respecta- 
ble opinions of Currel, who to appreciate to its full extent 
the importance of Pathological Anatomy and the exacti- 
tude of the assertion of Mascarel, says: «That Pathologi- 
cal Anatomy has never demonstrated with more conclu- 
sive evidence the- cure of a disease, than it has done in 
pulmonary consumption.)) Professor Brommais had al- 
ready said that one could not refuse to believe that the 
tubercles could be dissolved. Dr. Maude dedicating him- 
self to investigate the histology of the tubercles, has more 
and more a tendency to demonstrate that those bodies are 
produced by the philastic exudation, and nobody is igno- 
rant of the fact that exudations can be absorbed. Thus, 
Dr. Mascarel, besides the facts which in sciences are every 
thing, brings forth as an overabundant proof of the prin- 
ciple stated, the respectable opinions of Herard, Cazenave, 
Sandras, Sales, Gironds and many others who believe in 
the possibility of dissolving tubercles in general, and those 
of the lungs in particular. Providence says this last writer 
struggling against the blindness of the learned, demons- 
trates materially the dissolubility of the tubercles in even- 
stage of their development. And Dr. Mascarel goes on 
saying. «We are not without knowing the gravity of the 
work which we undertake; for a long time encyclopedists, 
it has been permitted us more than once to see our associa- 
tes the specialists, more circumscribed in their domain, 
being mislead through tenebrous walks, and in order not 
to lose ourselves in pure conceptions of the spirits of the 
discussion to which we dedicate ourselves, let us not 
depart from the point of facts, and of facts collected in all 
their simplicity, without premeditation nor preoccupation 
and with all the desirable authority and authenticity, let 
us seek truth, which it is our object to discover.)) 
((Taking pulmonary consumption in all its stages, we 
propose to ourselves to submit to the view of the doubtful 
reader that which happens in the great cavity of the re- 
nowned establishment liydro-termo therapeutical of Mont d’ Or, and we will consider ourselves fortunate, not to con- 
vince him of the evidence and truth of our assertions, be- 
cause our ambition is more limited, but to be able solely 
to dispel his doubts on the point of view of the curability 
of that disease and provoke an impartial and conscientious 
critical examination. Truth can not be obtained unless 
it is at that price.)) To leave the smallest possible doubt 
about the diagnostic or nature of that disease, we shall 
divide this work in two parts: in the first we shall include 
all the cases of tuberculous consumption in its beginning 
or first stage. In the other all those in the second and 
third, or of confirmed consumption. 
((Each one of these stages will be divided in two clas- 
ses. The hereditary consumption and that got acciden- 
tally, examining each of these classes in man or in woman.» 
I had not nor have any doubt about the curability of 
tuberculous consumption even in a much advanced period, 
and already given up as incurable by many, and I have 
published this opinion several times; but as my assertion 
has been explicitly denied by some and put in doubt by 
all, I hope for the honor of science and the benefit of hu- 
manity to see the judgment pronounced against me by 
those who do not know me, modified and corrected, were 
it only to see my assertion corroborated now by the ex- 
plicit and affirmative words of Dr. Mascarel, sustained by 
the practice of many and very distinguished co-professors 
who on account of his opinion have sent to the waters of 
the Mont cV Or a multitude of patients, whose results have 
answered admirably. Thus, from to day, will there be in 
future no more deficiency in an absolute manner to destroy 
in all cases, the tuberculous consumption, even being con- 
firmed. And I also hope that people will not attribute 
to a foolish fanaticism, the opinion which I have emitted 
with regard to the Isle of Pines, which unknown to all, 
has a right not to be judged before hand, even by those 
who have perhaps not even seen the same and have never 
studied it as it deserves, which is demonstrated by the 
many almost miraculous cases due to its medicinal and 
hygienical properties, observed and related more than 
once by me. I have anticipated those ideas in favor of 
suffering humanity, reserving to myself to publish a 
special work, in which, it appears to me, will remain 
demonstrated evidently the exactitude of the propositions 54 
thus far emitted, referring to the history or clinical obser- 
vation of the cases collected by me on the said Island, 
having relation to every one of the diseases enumerated, 
and whose scientific explanation can not be given to day, 
if these waters are not admitted to be essentially detersive 
in cases of vitiation of the humors, and the temperature of 
the Island as endowed with' special properties to reesta- 
blish the vitality of the nervous system, assisting the do- 
mineering strength excited already or by the waters, or 
by that same temperature. I should wish, however, that 
the organic chemistry with its improvements, should ex- 
plain, if possible, why the waters which dissolve the inci- 
pient calcareous concretions, should also be able to dissolve 
acid secretions. One may say also; why do they excite 
periodical secretion in the piles and at the same time stop 
blennorhagy? And, why do they excite the sensitiveness 
and power of motion in paralysis, when at the same time 
they soothe the pain and diminish the muscular contrac- 
tions in cases of rheumatism? I do not therefore aspire 
to the glory of explaining the facts satisfactorily, I do limit 
myself to report them with sincere faithfulness, to make 
them known as well to the patients as to the physicians, 
as it may be for those a consolation and for these a resour- 
ce, and at the same time a satisfaction for 
Josf; de la Luz Hernandez.