REMARKS ON THE CLIMATE OP SOUTHAMPTON. 59 



It would appear, then, in conclusion, that the climate of Southampton is 

 mild, differing but little from that of the most southern town in England ; 

 that the air is more generally laden with moisture than that of inland towns, 

 arising from its proximity to the sea and freshwater, and from the prevalence 

 of winds from the points between south and west and those inclusive, which 

 are laden with aqueous vapour from the sea : that this moisture falls in 

 copious showers on a fewer number of days than the less quantity in the in- 

 land towns with which it has been compared ; occasionally in large quantities 

 at a time, as on June 27*, 1850, when nearly tjyo inches of rain, accompa- 

 nied with thunder and lightning, fell in 12 hours : that severe cold is less 

 prevalent than at places inland, but the quantity of rain is greater ; while 

 the average amount of cloud appears, from comparison with about forty other 

 places, to be a mean between the more and less cloudy skies. Though the 

 air may be less bracing than places higher and more inland, we have the ad- 

 vantage comparatively in mild winters, and the absence of that severity which 

 is so trying to the invalid. 



I avail myself of a high medical authority to subjoin the following enume- 

 ration of the prevalent diseases, and of those which are unusual in the 

 neighbourhood ; which, being written entirely independently of -my observa- 

 tions, will, I apprehend, be yet found to harmonize with the opinions which 

 I have founded on the meteorological observations. 



" Inflammatory diseases of an active kind are not at all common, nor do 

 they require or bear active depletion when they occur. The town is quite 

 free from ague : the mud lands do not produce it, as the water upon them is never 

 stagnant. Intermittent neuralgias are not met with. Fever is not common. 

 Twenty years ago it was very rare, but since the town has increased greatly 

 in numbers it is more prevalent, though not of a malignant type. There is 

 a considerable amount of complaint from uneasiness, discomfort, indisposition 

 and local pains produced by indigestion of an atonic kind, or the result of 

 want of general power. The system is not so vigorous as in a more bracing 

 climate, and therefore not so able to digest the same quantity of food ; and 

 unless much greater attention is paid to quantity especially, and also quality 

 as well as to habits, headache, distension, constipation and general debility are 

 not uncommon. Young and vigorous persons who come here from a colder 

 and drier air, usually complain at first of sleepiness, and an inability to per- 

 form the same amount of muscular or mental exertion. On the other hand, 

 rather delicate and susceptible people (especially women), who are never well 

 in colder parts of England, enjoy much more bodily comfort here. For the 

 same reason it suits children and elderly people, especially if they have been 

 subject to inflammatory diseases of the air-passages in colder or drier places. 

 Gouty and rheumatic diseases are not common here, as might be expected, 

 from the inability to digest' a large quantity of food; in short, there is a 

 greater amount of indisposition from indigestion, and a less than an average 

 amount of active secondary diseases, such as fever and violent inflamma- 

 tion." — Dr. J. Bullar. 



Looking at what private observers like myself have been able to accomplish 

 in the science of meteorology, we must arrive at the conclusion that com- 

 paratively slow progress will be made until our number is greatly increased, 

 and till we embrace in our observation a more extensive range. In addition 

 to the pressure, temperature, and hygrometric state of the air, it would be 

 highly advantageous, could we, for all localities, ascertain in addition the ra- 

 pidity of evaporation ; the range and intensity of solar radiation ; and the 

 state of electric tension, — all which in their varied combinations go to make 

 up that general result which we call climate, and which unitedly produce 

 effects upon the natural world and the human frame, according to the pre- 

 ponderance in the atmosphere of one or the other element. 

 * This was the heaviest fall of rain recorded. 



