208 POOREE. 



Calcutta in two days, is a station whose pure and invigo- 

 rating air, together with its equable climate, render it one 

 of the most salubrious spots in the East. Dr. Brander 

 says the best months for convalescents residing at Pooree 

 are February, March, April, May, and the early part of 

 June, which, as they are found to he the months apparently 

 the most trying to the European constitution in other parts 

 of India, become, in a ratio corresponding with the differ- 

 ence of temperature and other local advantages, relatively 

 the most healthy and the best suited to a sojourn on the 

 coast. At that' period the south-west monsoon prevails, 

 and seems to exert with greatest effect its prophylactic in- 

 fluence over the convalescent visiter, who is not a little 

 gratified to find, instead of the tattus and artificial refrige- 

 ration necessarily employed at inland stations, a never-fail- 

 ing source of cool air in the renovating sea-breezes. Al- 

 though a preference has been assigned to the above months, 

 it is not easy, in a climate on the whole so uniform as this, 

 to point out"^with precision the period of the year that may 

 be considered as the healthiest : the most agreeable, and 

 probably the most congenial, to the feelings are the months 

 compris'ed between October and February inclusive, when 

 the thermometer ranges between 64° F. and 76° F. The 

 extremes of temperature during the twelve months are 64" 

 and 89°, subject to very little variation during the twenty- 

 four hours. June, July, August, and September may be 

 considered as the unfavourable months. Seeing how en- 

 tirely remote Pooree is from the sources of disease pecu- 

 liar to inland stations, the salubrity and uniformity of its 

 climate, its ready access at all periods of the year, and fur- 

 ther, the benefits the voyage holds out to the invalid and 

 those sinking under tropical disease, it is probably difficult, 

 ■with such available advantages, to fix upon any spot better 

 suited for a sanatarium, or convalescent retreat, than the 

 one under consideration ; a ^^sit to which might, in many 

 instances, preclude the necessity of undertaking voyages to 

 Europe or the Cape,— performed frequently with consider- 

 able sacrifice and inconvenience. 



