Weather of 1908 in Relation to Health. 9^ 



the average, and there was a continued stillness in the atmos- 

 phere up till the 26th of December, on which date winter set 

 in suddenly and severely. Considered as a whole, Mr Ruther- 

 ford felt justified in using the appellation "ideal " to the year 

 1908. The total rainfall for the year was 40.03 inches, being 

 1.55 inches above the average of the last 15 years. 



The Weather of 1908 in Relation to Health. By Dr J. 

 Maxwell Ros.s. 



(Summary of Remarks.) 



Taken as a whole, 1908 showed very favourable mortality 

 statistics. In the county of Dumfries, taken along with the 

 six burghs which lay into the county, the number of deaths, 

 after deducting and adding transfers, amounted to 827, being 

 a death rate of 14.84 per thousand of population. This was 

 considerably lower than the average of the past ten years, 

 which was over 16 per thousand. The record for the year was 

 therefore very good indeed. In the third quarter of the year, 

 that in which the mortality was heaviest, the number of deaths 

 was 53 below the average, and although this was due to a great 

 many different factors, the influence of the weather was most 

 important. In the past year fevers had been very few and the 

 death rate in this respect very moderate. Thev had something 

 like six persons out of every ten thousand who died from infec- 

 tious diseases. There had been a very low death rate from 

 scarlet fever, typhoid fever, diphtheria, and measles, while 

 whooping-cough stood rather high on the list. It was at its 

 maximum in February, and afterwards in January, while there 

 were no deaths from it in three months. May, July, and Sep- 

 tember. Then they could congratulate themselves that the 

 death rate from consumption was lower. It stood at 14 per 

 ten thousand for the district, compared with an average of 19 

 in the previous decade. It was at its maximum in October. 

 Pneumonia was at its maximum in April and lowest in Septem- 

 ber, when the rates were respectively eleven and eight per ten 

 thousand. This showed that rainy weather was not necessarily 

 unhealthy. Influenza was not very prevalent during the year, 

 but occurred chiefly in six months, February, March, April, 



