658 



POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



mary cause of factors considered in this study, they themselves 

 would fail to show upon the tables. 



HUMIDITY. This figure (Fig. 5) indicates in a very decisive man- 

 ner that states of low relative humidity, as shown by both maxi- 

 mum and minimum readings, are conducive to excesses in both the 



24.30 24.40 24.50 



Barometer, Inches 

 24.60 24.70 24.80 



24.90 25.00 25.10 25.20 



Slax. Barom 



Min. Barom. 



_^__ Normal Maximum 



FIG. 4. 



classes of crimes studied. For instance, for maximum humidities 

 between ten and twenty the proportion of actual crime to that ex- 

 pected is 1 : 0.1; between twenty and thirty (suicide), 11 : 1; be- 

 tween thirty and forty, 9.5 : 4.5; between forty and fifty, 15 : 8. 

 The maximum curves show somewhat the same general relation 

 though not with quite so marked divergences. To one who has ex- 

 perienced the general low humidities of our Colorado altitudes 



Humidity, Hundredth* 

 40 50 60 TO 



.JH 



. Mi, 



. Normal Maximum 



'ax. Humid. \ Sutcidea 

 in. Humid. > 

 Normal Minimum 



FIG. 5. 



(Denver is one mile above the sea level) this result is not surprising. 

 There is no doubt that a nervous tension much in excess of that 

 common in the lower altitudes exists, due in part, perhaps, to the 

 deficiency in barometric pressure and a consequent effect upon the 



