388 



ETHNOLOGY, ETC. 



EUROPE. 



eastern shores. In a word, the climate of west- 

 ern coast regions is, as the rule, the more mild, 

 bland, and genial ; while that of eastern coast 

 and interior regions is generally cooler, drier, 

 more bracing or exciting. This dryness and 

 exciting quality of the air of our country is 

 familiar to close observers, as characterizing, 

 more or less, and with few exceptions, all por- 

 tions of it, at least to the eastward of the 

 ranges of the Rocky Mountains. But the ex- 

 citing quality can also be noted to be especially 

 intense at certain times, and again less at others. 

 Now, it is well known that dry air is more 

 readily electrified by its own disturbance than 

 is moist, and also that, becoming electrified 

 from this cause or by evaporation or chemical 

 changes at the surface of the earth, it less 

 readily parts with its electric charge, or re- 

 turns to a condition of equilibrium, than does 

 moist air. Further than this, Mr. Barder has 

 lately stated that, as the result of his ob- 

 servations, "wind which has recently come 

 over the sea is almost invariably heavily charg- 

 ed with ozone while land breezes bring with 

 them little of this agent." And in the great 

 aSrial circulation, it will be noted, the trade- 

 winds of the temperate latitudes flowing toward 

 the equator also move westwardly, or, npon 

 eastern shores, from the oceans over the land; 

 those of western coast-regions, the reverse. 



Here we appear to have found at least four 

 atmospheric or climatic causes, all of which 

 would tend to produce just the sort of effects 

 which have been referred to above, namely : in 

 some portions of the Atlantic and interior re- 

 gions of our country, a comparatively low tem- 

 perature; in almost all parts a comparatively 

 dry atmosphere; in the same parts, increased 

 liability to electrical excitation; in the regions 

 bordering the Atlantic, a comparatively highly 

 ozonized condition. For, as to the last-named 

 of these causes, although the nature of ozone 

 is still hi dispute (see CHEMISTBY), yet it can- 

 not be denied that there is some chemical 

 agent or condition of the air which possesses 

 the powers that have been attributed to ozone, 

 and the tendency of this agent is to favor oxi- 

 dation; hence, physiologically, to spur on or 

 excite vital actions. In fact, it becomes an in- 

 teresting question whether the very electriza- 

 tion of a dry atmosphere may not, at the same 

 time, generate this agent ; and hence, whether 

 an unusual charge of ozone may not often 

 characterize the air of our country in regions 

 which, like those of Kansas and Minnesota, are 

 far removed from the seaboard. Upon all such 

 questions, however, there is great need still of 

 more extensive and more careful experiments 

 than have yet been performed. 



But, granting that there were in our atmos- 

 phere such causes of physiological and mental 

 excitation as have now been suggested, could 

 it not be supposed that observation and study 

 should yet reveal to us some measures by 

 which any possibly unfavorable influences of 

 the climate might bo neutralized, or the prepon- 



derance assured to those of its influences which 

 are favorable in their tendency ? Might not, 

 in such case, very much be accomplished to- 

 ward the end now indicated, by calling into 

 requisition the habitual exercise of an intelli- 

 gent forethought in regard to the atmospheric 

 conditions we are subject to ; by a suitable reg- 

 ulation of the habits of life ; by resorting as 

 much as may be to an unexciting, but succu- 

 lent, and also nutritious and supporting diet- 

 ary ; by calling in the moral power of self- 

 control, to the government of impulses and 

 desires ; and finally, by that more general and 

 systematic cultivation of the solider mental 

 powers, which, under the exigencies imposed 

 by the earlier periods in the occupation of the 

 vast and unreclaimed territory of our conti- 

 nent, has up to this time scarcely been practi- 

 cable ? 



EUROPE. The following table exhibits the 

 list of States into which Europe was divided at 

 the close of the year 1863, together with their 

 population, according to the last official census : 



The territorial division of Europe was chang- 

 ed in 1863 by the annexation of the Ionian Isl- 

 ands, which had hitherto been under the pro- 

 tectorate of England, to the kingdom of Greece. 

 (See GEEEOE.) A dispute between France and 

 Switzerland, concerning the frontier, was ami- 

 cably settled by a treaty. (See FBANCE.) 



At the beginning of the year, the European 

 nations were deeply agitated by the outbreak 

 of an insurrection in Poland, which spread not 

 only over all the provinces of the kingdom of 

 Poland, but even over the western provinces of 

 Russia. As the governments and nations of 

 Europe generally sympathized with the Poles, 

 it was for some time expected that all Europe 

 would be drawn into this war. This expecta- 

 tion was not realized, but the insurrection con- 



* The population of the entire German Confederacy, in- 

 cluding the German provinces of Austria, Prussia, Holland, 

 and Denmark, amounted in 1861 to 45,018,084. 



t The succession of King Christian IX. of Denmark in 

 the duchies of Schleswig-Holstoin, and Lauenburg is disput- 

 ed by the Prince Frederic of Augustenburg. See SCULBS- 



WIO-IIOLSTEIN'. 



