856 PORTUGAL OF TO-DAY.

,dynasties or of Ptolemaic times. The god holds in his handsa long papyrus which represents the medical literature ofwhich he was the author, a specimen of which has beenpublished in the celebrated Ebers Papyrus, and a collec-tion of medical treatises are about to be edited from anumber of papyri recently acquired by the Berlin Museumwhich will further illustrate the medical science of ancientgypt and the doctrines of I-em-hotep. Signor Dattari haskindly permitted the figure to be photographed for publica-tion in THE LANCET.

PORTUGAL OF TO-DAY.

(FROM A CORRESPONDENT.)

I.As Lisbon has been chosen to be the site of the forth-

coming International Congress of Medicine, to be held in

April, a description at the present time of a few features ofPortugal and its people, specially with reference to the

climate, the suitability of the country as a residence forEnglish people, the various watering places and health

resorts, and the general conditions of life in this portion ofthe Peninsula, will be of topical interest. Up to within thelast few years comparatively few Englishmen visited this

country in spite of the intimate political and commercial’relationship that has always existed between the two nations,the climatic and scenic attractions of the country, and thefact that large resident British colonies have existed for over150 years both in Lisbon and Oporto, the two chief cities ofPortugal.

In former days the uncertain and generally rough voyageacross the Bay of Biscay in a sailing ship or an indifferentlyappointed and slow steamer, together with the want of.accommodation and travelling facilities in the country itself,combined to deter any but those who had business affairs to.attend to from venturing so far out of the beaten track.During the last few years, however, owing to improvedfacilities for travelling overland and the great increase innumber, tonnage, and comfort of the steamers tradingbetween the two countries, the number of English visitors,has been rapidly increasing. Considerable numbers come.now all through the spring and early summer, while a fewremain to take advantage of the mild climate and spend thewinter here. Though Portugal possesses many features of’historical and scenic interest, and though her people andliterature would repay far more study and attention thanhave hitherto been bestowed on them by Englishmen, it isthe object of this article to deal rather with the climate of’the country and its chief features of medical interest as ahealth resort, together with such points of general interest.as may appeal to those about to visit the Lisbon Congress inApril.

THE CLIMATE AND SCENERY OF PORTUGAL.

The late Baron Forrester, in his Prize Essay on Portugal,’’ "

quotes a sentence from a Spanish book dating back as far.as 1631, wherein the author says, " Happy would manyother countries be if their best spot as to climate were

equal to the worst part of Portugal," and there is nodoubt that the climate of this part of the Peninsulais, at any rate during many months of the year, mild,equable, and healthy. The weather is, as a rule, either

- very dry or exceedingly wet according to the season. Thusin summer there may be little or no rainfall for months

together, while during the two or three months which go tomake up the short southern winter (December to February)’the country is drenched perhaps for days together by violent,almost tropical, downpours. Compared with Great Britainthe seasons in Portugal are very much more certain andreliable. The most agreeable times of the year in this countryare during spring and early summer, from March to the end ofJune, and again from October to the middle of December.During both these seasons the weather may generally berelied on to be, on the whole, fine, sunny, and warm. Duringthe height of summer the climate is for most people un-pleasantly hot and the country gets very dry and burnt up,and would hardly appeal to those in search of a refreshingchange. The winter in Portugal is always very mild andopen, especially near the coast. From the end of October

till the middle or end of December there is generally a longspell of almost unbroken and brilliantly fine weather, a

cloudless sky, and cool bracing breeze. Even in themiddle of winter one gets intervals between the storms ofrain of almost perfect weather, lasting often for days or aweek together. Near the coast snow is practically unknownand the thermometer rarely descends below freezing point.Thus at Oporto during the eight years from 1893-1900 theaverage daily minimum temperature in December and

January was 11 7° and 90 C. respectively. Farther souththe winters are even more mild and perhaps less stormy andthere is a considerable difference between the winter at

Lisbon, Cascaes, and Mont Estoril, and the same season atGranja, Oporto, or further north still. Inland, where thecountry is for the most part hilly, the winter is much drier,and although it can hardly be called very cold comparedwith countries farther north the air is very keen at times andthe higher mountains are covered with snow more or less

through the winter. The highest mountain in Portugal, theSierra d’Estrella, is over 6500 feet high and there are

many others in the north and east of the country thatrun from 3000 to 4000 feet above sea level. Duringspring and autumn the fine, dry, bracing air in thesemountainous districts together with the settled sunnyweather, go to form a climate which is perhaps as fineas any in Europe. On the whole, then, the climate of

Portugal may be said to be very healthy and pleasantfrom October to June, the sea coast being preferablein the winter months and inland places in autumn and

spring, and for those who from choice or necessity wish toavoid the severity of the northern winter and spring thecountry is well worth consideration.The scenery in Portugal is for the most part interesting

and in many places remarkably beautiful. The coast is

composed chiefly of low sandhills covered with pine trees.Inland the steep, round-topped, heather-covered hills andshallow rapid streams suggest rather the Scottish Highlands,especially the central and northern districts, while such

places as Cintra and Bussaco are now well known as afford-ing scenery as beautiful as any in Europe. The country isfor the most part extremely fertile and the warm rains andhot sun cause a luxuriance of vegetation and flowers such asless favoured countries can never hope to obtain. Portugalis a great place for flowers and an idea of the mild opennature of the winter there may be gleaned from the fact thatcamellias blossom profusely in the open air all through thecolder months, roses bloom nearly all the year round, whilerhododendrons and a wealth of spring flowers are in fullflower from the beginning of March.The south of Portugal, the provinces of Alemtejo and the

Algarve, differs very much from the north, being much lessmountainous and much hotter. Indeed, the climate in theextreme south resembles more that of Algiers and NorthernAfrica than that of a European country. The people, too,of the south differ a good deal from those of the north. Thewhole country south of the Tagus was for some 400 yearsin the Middle Ages entirely dominated by the Moors, andthough the country bears throughout signs, both in the wayof buildings and customs, of Moorish influence, these are farmore prominent where the Mohammedan power was mostabsolute and longest sustained.The countrymen of Central and Northern Portugal are

more nearly allied to the inhabitants of Northern Spain,Leon and the Asturias. They are for the most part hard-working, quiet, and pleasant people to deal with. They aremostly very poor, quite illiterate, and ignorant of everythingoutside their immediate district. Large numbers emigrateevery year to the Brazils, where they earn more money andwhere they all hope to make fortunes. The women of thenorth are most of them tall handsome women and owing tothe habit of always carrying things upon their heads theyacquire a grace of figure and carriage that is particularlystriking. Their costumes are very bright and picturesque,each district having a distinctive dress. Their savings areall invested in pure gold ornaments, such as earrings,brooches, lockets, and chains, all of a colossal size, and theamount of almost barbaric splendour in the shape of 24-caratgold that a Portuguese countrywoman will display on a fair-day is something astonishing.On the whole the traveller in Portugal will find much that

is of interest alike in the people, their customs and build-ings, and in the country itself. Good hotels are, however,few and far between and anyone wishing to get off thebeaten track must expect to have to rough it, but if he

857PORTUGAL OF TO-DAY.

chooses the right time of yearthe fine scenery and genialclimate will make up for a

good deal. A naturalist wouldfind much that is of interestand an artist would find that

any trifling discomfort was

more than compensated by avisit to what is one of themost beautiful and picturesquecountries in the whole of

Europe.

WATERING PLACES IN

PORTUGAL.

The fact that Portugal is

peculiarly rich in medicinal

springs and baths of consider-able and undoubted therapeuticvalue may be said practicallyto have escaped the noticehitherto of the medical pro-fession outside the country.Partly owing to the greaterdistance from England and

partly, perhaps, owing to thelack in Portugal of that

enterprise in advertising whichis so noticeable in some othercountries, many health resortin this country are practicallyunknown, some of which as

regards climate, scenery, baths,and waters are perhaps as

valuable as any in Europe.Until recently the accommoda-tion to be obtained at many ofthese places was very poor, butof late years fairly good hotelshave been built at a number

FIG. 1.

Countrywoman of North of Portugal in characteristic costume.

FIG. 2.

of them and at the same time.

improved travelling facilitieshave rendered them far more

easily accessible than hitherto.Patients visiting Portuguesewatering places will’not findthe same amount of luxury oras many amusements providedfor them as perhaps theymight get in more fashionableand better known healthresorts, but they will be sureof attention and politeness.everywhere, and the interests,of new surroundings, fresh.

people, and the naturalbeauties of scenery whichmany of these places affordshould at least be sufficient to.prevent ennui if not activelyto amuse. There are two

points which I venture to,think are specially worth bring-ing to the notice of the medi-cal profession in England in.

respect to Portuguese wateringplaces. One is that the climateis much warmer in spring andearly summer that that ofNorthern Europe, which-renders the country peculiarlysuitable for many cases ofrheumatism and other diseasesat this time of year. The otheris that a visit to a Portuguesewatering place is not an,

expensive luxury and would, be found well within the

compass of a very largenumber of people to whom avisit to a more fashionable and

General view of Gerez.

858 PORTUGAL OF TO-DAY.-LOOKING BACK.

expensive resort would be difficult or impracticable. As

regards language a knowledge of French will carry one a longway, and wherever the traveller goes he is sure to meet withan attention to his requirements and an amount of politenessamong all classes that are as refreshing as they are perhapsunexpected.In this article it is, of course, impossible to describe in

detail the natural resources of the country in springs andbaths, and a mere mention of the names of a few of the betterknown resorts, together with the nature of the waters andbaths to be found at them, must suffice. The medicinalwaters of Portugal may practically be divided into two

classes, those charged with sulphur and the alkaline. Afew contain iron but they are unimportant. Large numbersof Portuguese visit the various spas in summer, completingthe " cure " when possible by a course of sea-bathing at oneof the many places along the coast during August andSeptember. The following are a few of the better knownresorts in the country. The season at all of them beginsabout the beginning of May, when the hotels, at whichaccommodation is mostly fairly good though plain, generallyopen.

Gerez is situated in the north-east of Portugal, about fourhours’ drive from Braga, the chief town in the north. The

village is about 700 feet above sea level and lies in a valleyamong mountains running up to over 4000 feet in height.The waters are strongly alkaline and issue at a temperatureof about 450 C. (nearly 113° F.). They have a great reputa-tion for the cure of digestive disorders and more particularlyfor cases of functional derangements and disorders of theliver. There is no doubt that they are particularly efficaciousin cases of chronic gastro-intestinal catarrh and enlargedtorpid liver in those inclined to over-indulgence and seden-tary lives and in the congested condition of the liver anddigestive organs generally, so often found in those who havelived much in tropical climates. A considerable number ofPortuguese who have spent some years in the Brazils deriveremarkable benefit from a visit to Gerez. The arrangementsfor drinking the waters and for taking the baths are wellcarried out and great care is ordained in the way of diet

during a " cure," as certain articles of food are found to setup a great deal of internal derangement while a course ofwaters is being taken. The action of the water is similarto that of the waters at Carlsbad and their undoubtedefficacy, together with the bracing air and interestingscenery, have made Gerez one of the most popular wateringplaces in this country.

Caldellas is not very far from Gerez and about two hours’drive from Braga. The waters are alkaline, less powerfulthan those of Gerez, and are much in vogue here in cases ofatonic dyspepsia and sluggish liver, while the baths are

found of considerable value in cases of chronic eczema andother skin affections. The scenery is very pretty, the airbracing, and the hotels fairly good.

Entre-os-Rios is a small place some 30 miles from Oportoat the junction of the Douro with its chief tributary theTamega. The waters are both sulphuretted and alkalineand in addition to the various forms of I arthritism " specialattention is paid to the treatment of chronic diseases of thethroat and bronchial tract resulting from a gouty or rheu-matic diathesis. Great improvements have recently beenmade in the appliances for douches, sprays, and baths anda new hotel has been built for the use of those undergoinga cure.

Vizella is a small town about two hours by rail fromOporto, situated amidst particularly beautiful surroundingsand much frequented on account of its sulphur waters bycases of gout, rheumatism, obesity, and skin affections.Being shut in by mountains it is well sheltered and getsvery hot in summer. Spring and autumn are the best timesto visit it and owing to its warm situation and the valuablebaths cases of rheumatism certainly derive great benefit fromthe treatment there adopted.

Luso, which possesses alkaline waters and baths largelyresorted to for the treatment of chronic gout and rheu-matism, is of special interest as it is within half an hour’sdrive of Bussaco, where there is an excellent hotel open allthe year round and which, on account of its magnificentscenery and historic interest, is one of the places most worthvisiting in the whole of Portugal.

Caldas da Rainha, close to Lisbon and with both alkalineand sulphuretted waters ; Oucos, near the former, whererheumatic patients are treated by mud baths and alkaline

waters ; Pedras Salzadas, Moledo, Vidago, and others wherealkaline waters are found,-all these one can only just men-tion here, while there are very many others, some with fairlygood hotels, some without, but all of them possessing medi-cinal springs of more or lc ss value and of great local

reputation.The above notes, though sketchy and of necessity very

incomplete, may give some idea of the richness of the

country in watering places and indicate the class ofcase which is likely to be benefited by a visit to one

of them.(To be continued.)

Looking Back.FROM

THE LANCET, SATURDAY, March 22nd, 1828.

IMPORTANT DISCOVERY.

IT is confidently asserted that two distinguished philo-sophers, operating in concert, have ultimately succeeded incontriving an instrument that is capable of detecting thesecret operations of the mind by auscultation ; and which,in their perverted knowledge of the Greek, they have termedan intellectual stethoscope. The complicated constructionof this instrument has not yet been developed ; but we learnthat some trials are shortly to be made of its stupendouseffects, at a Sunday evening medical conversazione. Thoughtis either the silent inhabitant of the brain, or becomes pro-mulgated by language, which renders it intelligible. Thisis sufficiently obvious ; but the aim of the intellectual stetho-scope is to seize the thought in its nidus, either at theinstant it is hatched, or before it becomes fledged by speech,and wings its vibrations on the ear. There is a vulgarphrase, that a man endeavours to suck his neighbour’sbrains ; but this was always effected through the mediumof verbal articulation,-by picking up a hint, draining anallusion, insidious cross-examination, or precipitating s,n

inference. Here the operator goes directly to work, andelicits the naked thought unencumbered with the mere-

tricious ornaments of language. The first application ofthis wonderful contrivance was to persons asleep, by whichthese philosophers, by auscultation, were enabled to detectthose whisperings of thought that constitute dreams, andafter numerous experiments they are fully satisfied that themajority of persons are much more rational, and pregnantwitn important discoveries, when asleep, than in their wakingmoments; and they have piously presumed that Danielmust have employed a similar instrument when he relatedto Nebuchadnezzar the dream which that monarch had

forgotten. This process of somniloquent extraction, it isrumoured, they first practised on their fair spouses, or

occasional sleeping partners ; but the information thusobtained soon induced them to discontinue these attemptson the ladies. The intelligence procured was frequently ofan alarming nature, and excited jealousies and apprehensionsof infidelity.

In the next instance, they began to practise on each otherwith their eyes open, but the materials were deficient for afair experiment. The brain of neither had ever conceivedan original thought, launched forth a sally of wit, or courteda candid or legitimate conclusion. In this mutual barter of

opinion, the old adage, that exchange is no robbery, wascompletely verified : after repeated trials they only extractedimprobable conjectures, mutilated assumptions, the coarsematerials of lying and slandering, envy, hatred, malice andall uncharitableness. Thus the native barrenness of bothwill compel them to wriggle into medical societies, pro-fessional conversazioni, and, if the intrusion be permitted,into the company of gentlemen, that they may glean thethoughts of others, and unblushingly appropriate them asthe emanations of their own genius.The contrivers of this instrument are said to be a

Dr. James Johnson, the fabricator and vendor of some

splintered fasciculi, and a Gothic Editor, the last of thegazetteers.