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tiona of the brain are also disturbed by the Bame morbific influence, result- 

 ing in slight headache and drowsiness, with marked disinclination for 

 either mental or physical action. 



I add the testimony of Dr. J. S. Cameron, of Red Bluff: The north 

 wind produces a feeling of depression and nervous irritability; the lean 

 and spare made people being less susceptible than persons of a corpulent 

 habit. The first effeel consists in a feeling of tightness in the respiratory 

 organs, often associated with headache; a dryness of the skin: thirst, and 

 a diminution of the excretions. The majority are made pale by the hot 

 winds of Summer time; the eye will generally show signs of congestion, 

 and the after effeel usually increases the determination of blood to the sur- 

 face. Irritability is coincident with the north wind, caused, no doubt, by 

 the general atmospheric disturbance. The north wind causes an increase 

 in the amount of liquids drank. The hair becomes dry and crispy because 

 of evaporation. Consumptives are made very much worse; they are very 

 much prostrated by it. and in fact must leave the valley during the prev- 

 alence of the north winds. All diseases of the respiratory organs, except 

 asthma, are made worse. Neuralgia is also usually aggravated. The prev- 

 alence of a north wind of long duration in the Winter and early Spring 

 is uniformly accompanied with or succeeded by an epidemic of pneumonia; 

 the one in January, 1873, having produced over sixty cases in Red Bluff; 

 the mortality, however, was small. Rheumatism may, in some cases, be 

 beneiited. but I have no recollection of any case where it was; but unques- 

 tionably it is less prevalent during the continuance of the north wind. 

 Those who suffer from asthma are singularly free from it, but I attribute 

 this to the fact that the climate of Red Bluff is a specific for the cure of 

 that disease. 



Dr. Allendorf, of Red Bluff — The complexion during a north wind is apt 

 to become sallow, rough, and dry; some become very pale, others ruddy. 

 The hair becomes dry and rough, and the wind has a burning and blind- 

 ing effect on the eyes; also produces headaches and sleeplessness. The 

 young do not seem to suffer as much in proportion as those of forty years 

 and over, but all dread and dislike it. The north wind has a very percep- 

 tible effect on persons, especially after middle life. In those exposed there 

 is a sense of lassitude, pain of the joints and limbs, disinclination to exer- 

 tion, restlessness. The secretions of the mucous membranes are much 

 decreased. There is in man a shrinkage of weight as great as one pound 

 per day. A considerable number of intelligent persons have, by frequent 

 experiments, come to the conclusion that the human body loses by evapo- 

 ration, during a strong north wind, from one to two pounds per day. But 

 this point needs more careful investigation. 



The late lamented Dr. Ed. M. Curtis (Sacramento), a man distinguished 

 for his correct and close habits of observation, gave me, shortly before his 

 death, the results of his observations on the effects of the north winds on 

 his own person. He suffered for years, and finally died of consumption. 

 He said that the north winds were to him exceedingly enjoyable, and that 

 he felt better during a north wind than at any other time. While engaged 

 in studying this subject, I have found well people who claim that they feel 

 a happy exhilaration during the prevalence of the north wind. Among 

 these are persons of every variety of temperament. Nevertheless, it is an 

 established fact that many disagreeable results come from our north winds; 

 and the question arises whether we can account for these disagreeable char- 

 acteristics and bad effects of this so called " poison wind." 



