JcNE 23, 1882.J 



♦ KNOWLEDGE ♦ 



53 



may teach us : Nature's methods are always those of law 

 and order, nothing is done at random. In greater matt-irs 

 this is self-evident, and in subjecting her work to the 

 closest scrutiny we ever find her faithful to herself. 



ENGLISH SEASIDE HEALTH-RESORTS. 



By Alfred Haviland, M.R.C.S., F.R.M.C.S. Lond. 



CLASSIFICATION (Continued from page 40). 



The Daily Range of Temperature Accordiko to 

 Latitude. 



THERE is no more important element in climate than 

 the range of temperature ; it is the element by which 

 we distinguish continental from insular climates ; and the 

 facts relating to this range enable us to deduce laws, so 

 well formulated by Haughton,* viz : — 



1. In thf, northern /lemisphere, places which eiijoy a maxi- 

 mum mean annual temperature have also a minimum range 

 GJ annual temperature ; i.e., they have an Insular climate. 



2. In the northern hemisphere, places which possess a mini- 

 mum mean annual temperature have also a maximum range 

 of annual temperature ; i.e., they have a Continental climate. 



3. Large masses of land, anywhere, increase the range of 

 annual temperature; and Inrye masset of water, anywhere, 

 diminish the range of annual temperature. 



Now, although the climate of England is eminently 

 Insular, yet for our present purpose we may, for the sake 

 of comparison, divide it into inland and coastal : the former 

 representing the Continental, and the latter the Insular 

 division of the English climate as a whole. The sea-coast 

 is not resorted to altogether for the sake of the pure sea 

 air, that those who reside in inland towns so enjoy during 

 their outings and search after health. There is yet another 

 reason, unfortunately felt by many in weak health, and 

 that is the necessity of avoiding the extremes of heat and 

 cold, and the greater range of temperature, which are ex- 

 perienced in the inland climate. In summer, the sea 

 moderates the heat of the coast line, and in winter tempers 

 its cold ; the more perfectly, therefore, these conditions 

 obtain, the more perfectly will the climate of the health- 

 resort fulfil the requirements of those who are anxious to 

 benefit by its influences. 



This can easily be illustrated by referring to the records 

 of the daily range of temperature at the following inland 

 and coast stations for 1881 :— At Salisbury, by Thomas 

 Challis, Esq., of Wilton House ; at Stockton, near Rugby, 

 by the Rev. W. Tuckwell ; at Gloucester County Lunatic 

 Asylum, by E. Toller, Esq., M.R.C.S., F.M.S.;at Brighton, 

 by E. F. Sawyer, Esq., F.M.S. ; at Llandudno, by James 

 Nicol, Esq., M.D. ; at Scarborough, in Dr. John W.Taylor's 

 ^M.O.n.) Annual Report for 18S1 ; at Liverpool, by John 

 Hartnup, Esq., F.R.A.S. ; at North Shields, by Robert 

 Spence, Esq. ; and at Lowestoft, by S. H. Miller, Esq., 

 F.R.A.S., F.M.S. 



During the first quarter of 1881, the i/rsnYesi range of 

 temperature was observed at Salisbury, 15° 5; Stockton, 

 ll°-9 ; Gloucester, H°~t—mea.n, l.')°0. The least at Scar- 

 borough, 7°-4 ; Llandudno, 8°-6 ; North Shields, 8°-7 ; 

 mean, 8°-2 ; difference, 6°'8. 



During the second quarter, the greatest range was at 

 Salisbury, 2G°-3 ; Stockton, 22°4 ; Gloucester, 22°-5; 

 nwan, 23°-7. 



The least at Scarborough, 11° 8; Llandudno, 12°1 ; 

 Lowestoft, 12°-3; mean, 12° 0; difference, 11°". 



• " Six Ijoclnrcd on Physical Geograpliy," by tho Uev. Suniuul 

 Haughton, M.D., F.B.S. Dublin University Press Scries. 



During the third quarter, the greatest was recorded at 

 Salisbury, 22^-8 ; Stockton, 21°-3; mean, 22°-0. 



The hast at Llandudno, 9°-7 ; Liverpool, 10'-4 ; Scar- 

 borough, ll°-8; mean, 10°'6 ; difference, ll°-4. 



During the fourth quarter, the greatest range was at 

 Salisbury, 17°-7; Stockton, 14°-0; mean, 1.5'' 8. 



The least at Scarborough, 7° 9 ; Llandudno, 9° 3 ; at 

 Brighton, 9°1 ; mean, 8=7; difference, 7^-1. If we com- 

 pare the above figures with the mean daily range of tem- 

 perature throughout England for the four years 1878- 

 1881 inclusive, we shall see at a glance how natural a 

 division there is between the coastal and inland climates. 



All En^>lmid-1878-18ai. „,^,.., i,.., 



Annual Means 48'1 ... 13°-6 ... 19' 1 ... 0"-8 ... 9°-3 

 Again, referring to the first law of climate above as to 

 the highest mean annual temperatui-es being associated 

 with the least range of temperature, we have the following 

 figures to show how this is exemplified in England, when 

 the inland and coast climates are compared according to 

 latitudinal position. The temperatures belonging to the 

 interlatitudinal space, .50° to ST N., were all recorded at 

 coast stations, and we have selected Ventnor as the repre- 

 sentative of this space, simply from its central position and 

 its separation from the mainland of England. 



All England, 1831. Diffract. Mean Diffnicf. 



Parallels of 

 Latitude. 

 North. 



Mean Mean 



Coastal T^rT •" ""V "> 



„ ., Kepn-senla- 'f^^P, favour RanRO favour 



Temp. Daily ,1,.;;^ ,gg, of the ^f „, „, ,^g 



HanRe of • Air. Coast. Temp. CoMt. 



Bl-sa 481 



.12-53 46 9 



63-54 4«4 



54-55 13-4 



its- "I'S- *»(!• *'?• 



Ventnor 49-2 +01 11 4 -»1 



Barnstaple ... 60 6 +24 13J -»S 



Lowestoft ... 47-6 +07 ll'S -SS 



Llandudno ... 486 +22 liVl -S-» 



ScarliorouRh.. 471 +17 9 5 -40 



Thus we see that the coastal representatives have both a 

 maximum mean annual temperature and a minimum mean 

 daily range of temperature in accordance with the above 

 proposition. We see also that the greatest daily range of 

 temperature takes place, both inland and on the coast, 

 during the second quarter of tlie year (or during April, 

 May, and June). 



We find the sea, as it were, postponing the effects of 

 summer and autumn, and giving out its store of heat during 

 the last months of the year, the mean temperature of which 

 is 42° 5, compared with 38°-7 during the first quarter. On 

 the other hand, it absorbs in spring and early summer a 

 more than fair proportion of the solar heat Hence it 

 is that many seaside health - resorts afford a warmer 

 climate up to January, and even February, than inland 

 places, and many persons, on this account, go to them 

 from large towns to enjoy their prolonged warmth and 

 equability of temperature. On the other hand, aftvr the 

 winter has destroyed the last lingt^ring trace of tie 

 previous summer heat, and chilled tho s.\a and the land, 

 then it is tliat invalids feel the want of .shelter fivm cold 

 winds during March, April, and May, and those resorts 

 become the most frequented which afford the gn^ntest 

 protection from these winds during tliis most critical 

 period of the year, when more fatal chills are contracted 

 than at any other time- more latent seeds of consumption 

 excited into activity and development than during tho 

 cold of winter. Hence it is that we find on all the more 

 exposed parts of the coast of England a liigh mortality 

 from this disease ; but this subj.^ct must not be anticipated, 

 as it will be dealt with in its proixr place. 



