THE EFFECT OP CLIMATE UPON HEALTH AND DISEASE. 



449 



Appendix I (b). 



The examination of the relation between disease and climate may be 

 conducted upon one or other of two methods : — 



(a) The chronological method, by which the data for a single locality 

 are examined for periodic or secular changes. 



(b) The topographical method, by which the data are considered with 

 regard to geographical distribution, 



or by a combination of both (a) and (6). 



The application of climatological and other data upon these two 

 methods may be considered separately. 



(a) The Chronological Method. 



The monthly data for any station or country enumerated in the sum- 

 mary mentioned in the next following paragraph with sufficiently long- 

 records are available for the study of questions upon this method. The 

 only question which arises is the important one of the reference of current 

 values to averages, in consideration of the fact that different stations 

 have records of different duration. In order to make the data generally 

 available, monthly averages should be given for the periods of five years, 

 indicated by the unit figures 1 to 5 and G to 0, e.g., 1901-05, 1906-10, so 

 that groups of corresponding duration may be combined without difficulty, 

 to form a uniform system of averages for reference. 



(6) Topographical Method. 



Appendix VII. of the report of the Committee of the Meteorological 

 Olfice for the year 1905-6 gives a brief summary of the published material 

 which is available from each of the areas into which the world is divided in 

 the International Catalogue of Scientific Literature. The data can be con- 

 sulted at the Meteorological Office. A list of other Central Offices where 

 Meteorological publications are collected is given below on pp. 455 and 456. 



Publications classified in that summary under the heading ' Meteoro- 

 logical Registers General ' are almost all in the form of monthly averages. 

 In the majority of cases the form used is based on that adopted by the 

 Permanent International Meteoi-ological Committee, as suitable for use 

 at stations of the second order. (For details see below.) 



In localities where it is decided to start fresh observations a similar 

 form should be adopted. Form 19 of the Meteorological Office may be 

 used for recording the observations, but it is desirable, for the adequate 

 study of questions connected with the humidity of the atmosphere, that 

 provision should be made for an observation in the early afternoon. The 

 following combinations of hours have been recommended by the Permanent 

 International Meteorological Committee, as suitable for use at second- 

 order stations in Europe : — 



In the British Isles, observations at stations of the second order are taken at 

 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. The Committee of the British Association, which in 1892 pre- 

 pared a book of ' Hints to Meteorological Observers in Tropical Africa,' recom- 

 mended the combination 7 a.m., 2 p.m., and 9 p.m. for adoption in Tropical Africa. 



1908. 



G G 



