INFLUENCE OF THE WEATHER UPON CRIME. 657 



readings and humidity (Figs. 4 and 5), both the maximum and 

 minimum readings are considered. This was done instead of taking 

 the mean of both for the day, since in many cases the latter might 

 be quite normal, while one or possibly both the former might exhibit 

 marked peculiarities. All the curves were constructed precisely 

 as in the chart just considered, and those marked " normal " are 

 again the expectancy curves. An inspection of the chart shows 

 no marked discrepancies till we reach the higher temperatures. 

 For the lower the coincidence for all the maximum and all the 

 minimum curves is not exact, but somewhat similar. When, how- 

 ever, we reach for the minimum curves, temperatures of from 40^ 

 to 50° and from 50° to 60°, which means that for the per cent of 

 days indicated, the temperature did not go below those points, the 

 per cent of crime exceeds that expected under the conditions in the 

 proportions of 22 : 16.5 and 24 : 18 (suicides), and 21 : 16,5 and 

 29 : 18 (murders). 



The same general relation exists between the maximum curves, 

 where it is shown that for temperatures between 80° and 100° the 

 actual crime is about thirty-three per cent in excess of the expected. 



Temperature, Degrees Fahrenheit 

 .0° -10° 0° 10° 20° 30° 40° 50° 60° 70° 80° 90° 100° 



. Max. Tern. 

 Min. Tern. 



Nortna! Maxin 



:.■}■ 



• ^''^- ^"»- 1 Suicides 

 - Min. Tern, j 



= Normal yiiniinum 



Fio. 3. 



These facts have their bearing upon the already noted statement 

 that the summer months show a preponderance of homicide. 



Bakometer. — Fig. 4, disassociated from the others, shows but 

 little. JSTaturally we should not look for very marked effects 

 from variations of an inch or less in the barometric readings, when 

 in the course of a journey from the sea level to Denver a change 

 of six inches is brought about, and in going from the same point to 

 the summit of Pike's Peak one of nearly twelve inches without pro- 

 ducing any marked emotional abnorniities, but we must take into 

 consideration the fact that sudden barometric variations generally 

 accompany or more frequently precede other important meteoro- 

 logical changes. In the latter case, though they might be the pri- 



VOL. LV. — 46 



