AND ITS INHABITANTS 167 



1. In months having no storms (17,800 deaths), the rate 

 was 8.6 per cent less than the normal. 



2. In months having slight storms (3,000 deaths), the 

 rate was 6.1 per cent less than the normal. 



3. In months having moderate storminess (1,700 deaths), 

 the rate was 13.8 per cent less than the normal. 



On the basis of these figures and of others in other parts 

 of the country the bad effect of great storminess in cold 

 weather appears to be balanced by the good effect in warm 

 weather. To this, however, must be added the significant fact 

 that storminess, as has already been explained, appears to 

 increase people's vitality and energy at all seasons. 3 



What has all this to do with civilization? Much, as we 

 shall shortly see. Thus far we have been dealing only with 

 people of European races. We have seen that whether in 

 France, Italy, or any one of five sections of the United States, 

 the best health and greatest energy are found under essentially 

 the same conditions. Less intensive studies of Belgium, 

 Finland, Germany, and Sweden indicate that so far at least 

 as temperature is concerned the response is the same as in 

 France, Italy, and the United States. This is evident from 

 the following table : 



Optimum Temperature on the Basis of the Death-Rate 



in Foreign Countries 



Optimum 

 Place Years Temperature 



Belgium, 1861-1910 above 63 



Finland, 1900-1912 above 61 



Germany, 1912 64 



Japan, 1899-1908 64 



Stockholm, 1906-1914 60 



Average, 62.7 



3 For a further discussion of this matter see the author's volume on "Civiliza- 

 tion and Climate," 1915, published by Yale University Press. 



