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. temperatures at night, in the season in which those winds chiefly 
prevail. Bath is also to a certain extent sheltered from the full 
force of the easterly winds by the surrounding hills, as has been 
remarked both by Dr. Granville and Dr. Tunstall in their 
respective works, to which I would refer those who desire further 
details on this part of the subject. At the same time, from the 
great irregularity of the ground, winds except the westerly, when 
blowing strong, are here and there deflected from their right path, 
causing eddies and cross-currents in certain parts of the town, 
which make it difficult to say in some cases from what quarter 
the wind really blows. 
Quality of the Air—None of the registers last referred to treat 
of the subject of humidity. Temperature and humidity combined 
are the points, perhaps, of most consequence to be attended to in 
the determination of climate. But in a locality like Bath, where 
the town lies in a hollow, nearly surrounded by hills impeding a 
free circulation of the air, a third point, I think, ought to be con- 
sidered, and that is the quality of the air as regards purity. Ona 
former occasion I made some allusion to a depressing effect 
experienced in the streets of Bath during the summer months by 
persons not in strong health, which I endeavoured to show was 
not due exclusively to a high temperature, the fact being that, in 
the very hot summer of 1868, to which my remarks referred, the 
maximum heats were not greater in the town than on the hills 
and some days were even less.* 
That the Bath air has this effect upon some constitutions has 
been noticed by others ; and a striking case in point is mentioned 
by Dr. Granville in his “ Spas of England.” Quoting from a com- 
munication received from an accurate observer who had long 
resided in Bath, he writes thus :—‘ Bath air is what is called 
relaxing. I had a sister who, while she lived in old Bath, was 
subject to fainting and losing her voice; so that, though an 
* See Proceed. of Bath Nat, Hist. Field Club, vol. I., No, 3, p. 56. 
