206 Weather of 1911 in Relation to Health. 



from circulatory diseases, pneumonia, bronchitis, and cancer 

 were high; those from phthisis, diarrhoea, and other digestive 

 diseases low. Phthisis mortality was at its minimum for the vear. 

 Cases of diphtheria increased, but those of scarlet fever fell, 

 there being twenty of the former and eleven of the latter. 



December. — This month according to the meteorological 

 office was the most disturbed, wettest, and stormiest month of 

 the year over the United Kingdom, and this holds true of Dum- 

 friesshire. The barometer was low. Winds frequently ap- 

 proached the force of a gale. They were chieflv from the south- 

 west, so that the month though wet and stormy, was unusually mild, 

 the mean temperature being at least 3 deg. F. above the average. 

 At many of the rainfall stations it was noted that the greater 

 portion of the ramfall occurred during the night. The average 

 of the barometric readings was 29.230 inches, the mean tempera- 

 ture 40.9 deg. F. (slightly greater, it Avill be observed, than that 

 for November), the humidity 91 per cent., the rainfall 7.89 

 inches, and the rainy days 27. The total deaths were 86, giving 

 a rate of 17.838, which is somewhat in excess of the average, 

 16.275, so that the actual deaths are more than the expected 

 number (78). The pneumonia and bronchitis mortalities — the 

 chief contributors to the death-rate — were considerablv above 

 that from circulatory diseases. Cerebral ha:morrhage and cancer 

 were next in order, and were followed at no great distance by 

 whooping-cough, which was particularly prevalent in many parts 

 of the county at this time. The cases of scarlet fever were 

 seventeen and of diphtheria fifteen. 



The averages of the barometric readings for the year at each 

 of the four stations were: — Eskdalemuir, 29.090 inches; Drum- 

 lanrig, 29.743; Dumfries, 29.781; and Comlongon, 29.864. 

 There were eight months in which the mean pressure was greater 

 than the yearly mean, three (October, November, and December) 

 in which it was less, and one (April) in which the figures closely 

 corresponded. The mean temperatures for the year were: — at 

 Eskdalemuir, 45 deg. F. ; at Drumlanrig, 47.6 deg. F. ; at Dum- 

 fries, 48.4 deg. F. ; and at Comlongon, 48.6 deg. F. — giving an 

 average over the countv of 47.4 deg. F. The mean of all 

 the maximum readings of the themiometer was 54.5 deg. F. 

 The mean of all the minimum 40.2 deg. F. The absolute 

 highest temperature recorded was 89 deg. F., which was observed 



