M 



DR. B. ANGUS SMITH ON ANCIENT ANO 



book, and is to be found in Sir John Sinclair's Code of 

 Health. Not having that, I give a rough translation of one 

 sentence — 



*'When he (the physician) comes to a city, he should consider 

 how it lies, both as to situation, prospect, and winds. For the winds 

 have not all the same strength from the north, south, east, and west. 

 And these things are to be observed, — what water there is about the 

 place ; whether soft from marshes, or hard from high rocky places ; 

 or hard and saline. The land is also to be looked at, if it is naked 

 and without water, or if it is wooded and moist ; whether it is low 

 and sufifocating, or high and cold. Also what kind of food the people 

 use, is to be examined ; whether they are great drinkers or eaters ; 

 or if they delight in exercise or in work, and are temperate in 

 eating and drinking." 



He then discusses the effect of climate on men, as to their 

 mental and bodily development, still a contested subject, and 

 it is curious to see that there is no element introduced in 

 the present day which he did not then introduce. True, we 

 have in some cases the element of accuracy affecting certain 

 branches of the subject. If we look at Sir James Clark on 

 Climate, however, we see the same things, " hot, dry, cold, 

 moist," and so on, in constant repetition, but the thermometer 

 and rain gauge are made use of in many instances. Still, I 

 imagine, we know as little of the cause as Hippocrates, when 

 he tells us that one wind takes away the appetite, another 

 causes coughing. 



Sir J. Clark's book is full of remarks such as these :— 



" Florence is subject to sudden transitions of temperature, and to 

 cold piercing winds during the winter and spring." "Home; the 

 peculiarity of it deserving notice is the stillness of its atmosphere, 

 high winds being comparatively of rare occurrence." Also^ — " More 

 is to be feared from currents of cold air in winter, than from a 

 confined humid atmosphere, which last is the evil to be avoided 

 during summer." 



But even before Hippocrates, evils of this kind were 

 attended to, and Hercules is said to have saved the Elians 



