272 The Weathkr of 1902. 



In May, a cold month, in which there was a prevalence of north 

 and easterly winds and a temperature below the average, 94 

 deaths occurred, against 87 that were expected. That was due 

 largely to consumption and such diseases carrying off patients. 

 It was an inclement month, and naturally those whose constitu- 

 tions were weakened by phthisis were more liable to be cut off. 

 The death-rate from respiratory diseases was also high, although 

 not the highest of the year ; and deaths from nervous and 

 malignant diseases were high. There were no deaths from 

 zymotic diseases. In June the actual deaths were nine over the 

 expected; in July they were seven over; in August, also seven 

 over. Then we had a series of three months in which the actual 

 deaths were again very much less than the expected number. 

 In September 49 deaths occurred, as against 67 expected 3 in 

 October 62, as against 72; in November 70, as against 71. 

 In December again the actual deaths were higher than the ex- 

 pected — 96, as against 79. In that month we had also a high 

 death-rate from consumption, respiratory diseases, and influenza ; 

 and also from developmental causes : these were deaths which 

 occurred at the extremes of life, from premature birth and 

 deaths in old age. Altogether, although it had been a very odd 

 year so far as weather was concerned, and although there had 

 been a great deficiency of sunshine, it had not had an unfavour- 

 able effect on the death-rate. Part of the lowered death-rate 

 was, of course, due to other causes, but the weather was a factor 

 in causing a higher or lower rate of mortality. While it would 

 be heresy on his part to suggest that our improved sanitation 

 had no effect, still he thought we should be cautious in attribu- 

 ting the improved death-rate of last year entirely to that cause. 

 He thought the weather had had a very considerable influence. 

 And he said that because he had seen in the newspapers several 

 people claiming an improved death-rate as an evidence of how 

 well their sanitation was carried out. Now a wise man would 

 wait a little before he boasted of a low death-rate as a result 

 of improved sanitation in the place where he lived, because the 

 result of that improvement would only become apparent after a 

 period of years. Sir Emilius Laurie had been kind enough to 

 send him a record of the rainfall at Maxwelton House for the 

 last year; and Mr Lyall sent him records taken at the school- 

 house in Ewes and at Ewes Burnfoot. At Maxwelton House the 



