xxxiv GENERAL SUMMARY OF SCIENTIFIC AND 



air, on the part of several scientific gentlemen, "before the day 

 of ascension arrived. Amono: the contributions to our knowl- 

 edge upon this subject may be especially cited a short paper 

 by Professor Newton, of Yale College, -whose observations 

 relative to the movements of the clouds of meteoric smoke, 

 under the influence of the currents of air prevailing in the 

 higher regions of the atmosphere, showed conclusively that 

 no constant westerly current exists there. The frequent as- 

 censions of Mr. King, of Boston, have generally been utilized 

 by him during the past year, as in previous years, to a less 

 extent in furthering: our meteorological knowledo-e. He has 

 to this end again relied upon the services of Mr. Holden, of 

 Boston, an experienced aeronaut, and fully imbued with Mr. 

 King's enthusiasm as to the prospective usefulness of the bal- 

 loon in its le2:itimate field of work. 



Among the publications of the British meteorological com- 

 mittee, tliat of the meteorology of the North Atlantic equa- 

 torial region especially claims our attention, as being an ear- 

 nest of the work that is promised for the whole North Atlan- 

 tic Ocean. 



Meteorologists have during the year been called on to de- 

 plore the death of J. PI. Coftin and Charles Smalhvood. 



The connections between climate and disease have been in- 

 vestigated by numerous persons, among whom we may men- 

 tion Molner on the influence of barometric depressions, as 

 observed in the hospitals of Austria ; and Prestel on the in- 

 fluence of the winds, as observed in Friesland. The annual 

 report of the Philadelphia Board of Health contains also very 

 instructive diagrams,' showing the connection between mor- 

 tality and temperature. 



The labors of Mtihry, in regard to atmospheric electricity, 

 have already been referred to, and it reihains only to be 

 stated that the intimate connection assigned by him as exist- 

 ing between electrical and magnetical phenomena, on the one 

 liand, and solar spots on the other, receives further confirma- 

 tion from the observations of Dr. Wislicenus, of St. Louis, 

 whose observations on atmospheric electricity, continued now 

 for thirteen years, show a variation that seems to point direct- 

 ly to the solar-spot period, agreeing therein exactly with tlie 

 researches of Loomis on auroras. On the other liand, Broun 

 maintains the existence of a variation in magnetic phenomena, 



