Lorenzo Warriner Pease, the first American missionary to Cyprus, writes about the diseases and cures on the island:
The diseases of Cyprus are fevers, chiefly, they have also lunacy and leprosy. The latter prevails almost entirely among the Greeks. It is supposed to proceed from the use of pork. The people in the village, kill in the winter, separate the thick fat from the lean, salt it very strongly and hang it up to dry. In the summer when they are engaged in harvesting, they cut the fat and eat it with their bread. This is supposed to corrupt the blood and produce this disease. For fevers, the people use poultices of mustard, on the legs, [and raw fresh frogs] and young pigeons on the soles of the feet. For biles, they use onions and a large plant [hung up on doors] for the evil eye, having oil and salt upon them and roasting on the fire. For fresh wounds, they put on arrack, wine and vinegar, but no oil. The climate is supposed to be favorable to persons having pulmonary affection. Not advisable to remove from here to a cooler place, even Marseilles —