PART I.] Possible Relation of Soil Moisture to Cholera-prevalence. 



269 



both groups, but taken as representatives of two large tracts of territory, the figures 

 are highly suggestive. 



TABLE LV. 



A Summary of a 'portion of Tables XL V and LlII giving the ^percentage of seasonal 

 rainfall to annual rainfall in the selected group of Stations of the Endemic 

 and Non-endemic areas. 



A summary of the water-level registers which have reached us from the stations 

 situated in the non-endemic area at present under review will be found in the first set 

 of tables, arranged alphabetically (pages 302 to 319). It will be more instructive to 

 consider the possible relation which soil-moisture may bear to cholera-prevalence in 

 connection with the description of the separate stations where the observations were 

 conducted. It will be observed that many of the wells selected for the purpose of 

 registering the fluctuation of the water in them are very deep — far too deep, indeed, 

 to be of material aid in estimating the degree of moisture of the more superficial 

 strata. This was unavoidable in most instances, as no permanent water-supply was 

 attainable nearer to the surface. In such cases we have, in the following illustrative 

 stations, taken the mean rainfall as a more certain index of the hygroscopic condition 

 of the soil. The highest point of the water-level registered in the course of the series 

 has, however, been noted, but when this does not reach to within about 20 feet of the 

 surface, it has not been considered necessary to refer specially to the monthly range. 



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