COMMUNICATION FROM E. MERIAM, ESQ. 



Adoniram Chandler, Esq., 



Cor. Secretary y Am&rican Institute : 

 Dear Sir — Among the many subjects that have been brought to 

 the notice of the Ameiican Institute, there are none more interesting 

 than facts which illustrate the harmonies of our atmosphere as de- 

 veloped in the changes of temperature, which convert fluids to solids 

 and solids to fluids. 



The sudden and great changes of temperature from cold to heat and 

 heat to cold, have by many been supposed to exert an injurious efiect 

 upon health ; but my close and long continued research into the har- 

 monies of our atmosphere, and into the causes which produce great 

 and sudden changes, has satisfied my mind that sudden and great 

 changes of temperature are beneficial to the health of man instead of 

 being an injury. 



Franconia, a town situate on the Ammonoosuc river, near the White 

 Mountains of New Hampshire, is subject to the most frequent, the 

 greatest and the most sudden changes of temperature, aiKi notwith- 

 standing this, its inhabitants are more healthy and live to a greater 

 age than persons residing where the temperature is more uniform. 



These great changes are often independent of solar influence, hence 

 we find at Franconia the temperature on the first day of January, 

 1848, at 9 P. M., at 58°, and at the same place on the morning of 

 June first at sunrise, the temperature was 34°, and next morning fell 

 to 28°, being 30° colder on the second day of June than on the fii-st 

 day of January. 



In 1849, on the 13th of July, at noon, the temperature at Fran- 

 conia rose to 103° in the shade, and on the morning of the 16th, at 

 sunrise, was down to 35°, at noon 40°, and 38° at 9 P. M., being a 

 cbaBge of 68° in three days. 



