Southern Coast of England. 91 



through the medium of its exhalent arteries, which, by the torpor 

 they undergo, lose much of their energy, and consequently suffer a 

 material diminution in the quantity of their secretion. 



** When, however, cold is united with great humidity, a double 

 cause operates in the production of this same result; for as the 

 atmosphere can only sustain a certain portion of moisture in solu- 

 tion, or mechanical union, the slowness of its absorption of hu- 

 midity is necessarily in proportion to the quantity it has already 

 acquired. A diminished or suppressed action, therefore, of the 

 exhalent vessels of the skin, becomes here a still more certain result 

 than in the former case, and more especially where bodily exercise 

 cannot be enjoyed. 



" Another circumstance which tends to render a cold damp at- 

 mosphere more prejudicial than a cold dry one, and more especially, 

 than one that is calm, arises from its moreperfectpower of conduct- 

 ing away heat, which Count Rumford, by numerous experiments, 

 has shown to be the case ; consequently, although the thermometer 

 indicates the temperature to be the same, still its effects on the 

 constitution are widely different ; and debilitated persons feel more 

 chilled by such an atmosphere, at a temperature of 35°, or 36°., 

 than when the thermometer is down at 31° or 32°. 



'* Such an atmosphere, then, even on those who are naturally 

 healthy, if it long prevail, can scarcely fail to be productive of more 

 or less derangement of the bodily functions ; which derangement is 

 generally evinced by depression of spirits, indisposition to exertion, 

 and most commonly, a sympathetic torpor and inactivity in the di- 

 gestive function in its general sense ; with vitiated or impaired se- 

 cretions of the liver, and other glands. 



*' I have before observed that such an atmosphere as combines 

 moderate warmth, with a slight degree of moisture, is, in the gene- 

 rality of diseases, perhaps more conducive to improvement than any 

 other ; yet, there is not probably a more baneful combination than 

 when great heat and moisture are conjoined, and, more especially, 

 when the air is at rest. This is too fully exemplified to us by its 

 pernicious effects in tropical countries ; where the air, in low and 

 marsliy districts, when confined and rendered stationary by woods, 

 and consequently united with the unhealthful influence of perpetual 

 vegetable decomposition, is productive of the most serious conse- 

 quences to all who are exposed to its influence. 



'* The effects of an atmosphere thus surcharged with heat and 

 vapour, on the constitution of man, is to relax the solids, to rarefy 

 the fluids, and to increase the secretions on the surface ; which, 

 however, from the already saturated state of the air, is not readily 

 removed ; to lessen the powers of the circulation, and to diminish 

 the energies of the body, giving rise, by their combination, to the 

 various awful epidemic diseases, to which, fortunately, we are little 

 exposed in this island. 



** Yet, that a certain degree of moisture is necessary to constitute 



