APPENDICES. 49 



are decidedly the finest, healthiest, and most pleasant in the 

 year. In October and November rain very rarely falls, and the 

 climate is as nearly perfect as any can be. 



The close proximity to Dhurmsalla of the main outer Hima- 

 layan range affects its climate in all seasons. The vast quantity 

 of snow which accumulates on it makes the winter severe, and 

 acts as a reservoir of cold ; while during the summer the im- 

 mense mass of bare and dark-coloured rock increases the heat 

 by radiation and reflection. During the rains the chain attracts 

 and arrests clouds, and precipitates their contents over its 

 southern slopes. It forms a complete barrier, beyond which 

 rain-clouds of high specific gravity are unable to penetrate ; 

 and a few miles on the northern side of its crest no monsoon 

 rain falls, beyond slight showers. The clouds invariably move 

 parallel to the highest ridges. It frequently happens, to illus- 

 trate how powerfully the mountains attract clouds, that rain falls 

 in inches at the upper part of the station, and not a drop at the 

 lower. The rain-fall at Kangra (twelve miles off) is, I believe, 

 less than half that at Dhurmsalla. 



Annexed is a table (No. 1) showing the results of my meteoro- 

 logical observations during eighteen months, with remarks on 

 the points of interest they contain. 



On the whole, in my judgment, the climate is decidedly 

 salubrious and suited to the European constitution. No climate 

 is perfect, and the drawback to that of Dhurmsalla is the rainy 

 season. In all of the Bengal sanataria, however, with the 

 exception of Murree, there is a very heavy rain-fall. The 

 great change which accompanies the setting-in of the monsoon 

 from extreme dryness to extreme humidity of the air, cannot 

 fail to be unhealthy. The same causes which operate to render 

 other hill stations in the north-west of Bengal unhealthy during 

 the rains are at work to a less extent at Dhurmsalla, and produce 

 like results. The moisture of the air, amounting at times to 

 almost complete saturation, the difficulty of taking sufficient 

 exercise, and the still, heavy state of the atmosphere, are felt by, 

 and affect the whole system. The spirits are depressed, perspi- 

 ration is checked, and the abdominal viscera are loaded and 

 congested. I have seen numerous cases of hill diarrhoea, but 

 they have all been of a mild and comparatively tractable type, 

 although accompanied by the total suppression of the biliary 

 secretion, characteristic of the disease. 



The climate is, in my judgment, well suited to cases of fever 



D 



