Transactions. 89 
the mean annual temperature of 1893 exceeds that of 1894 by 
nearly a degree and a half—49-4° as compared with 48°. 
THE COUNTY MEDICAL OFFICER ON THE WEATHER AND HEALTH. 
Dr Maxwell Ross moved a vote of thanks to Mr Andson, 
They were all indebted to Mr Andson for these papers, which he 
gave from year to year, and speaking for himself there was no 
paper he enjoyed more. The reason for that was partly a 
professional one, for as was known to the fathers of medicine 
certain diseases were remarkably subject to weather influence, 
For example, he thought it- was very wel] established that, in the 
case of respiratory diseases, when they had a winter with a high 
temperature the mortality was small, and when they had a winter 
with a low temperature the mortality was greater. Then, taking 
diarrhea, when they had a high temperature in summer the 
deaths from this cause would be increased. Again, in relation 
to diphtheria, there were some curious points to be made out. 
The influence of subsoil water, which to a large extent depended 
on the rainfall, seemed to be great upon diphtheria. In 1893, 
when the rainfall was high, they found diphtheria very prevalent 
on the Solway shore. Last year, when it was low and the people 
rejoicing in a dry season, their condition was expressed by one 
who remarked “ We all feel very fit.” They were very much 
indebted to Mr Andson for his valuable paper. (Applause.) 
2. A Famous Old Battlefield. 
By Mr Atexanper D. Murray, Newcastle. 
Twenty-five years ago, when I had the honour to be secretary 
of the Dumfriesshire and Galloway Natural History Society, the 
late Sir William Jardine being our president, a joint-meeting was 
held of the Society with the Berwickshire Naturalists’ Club in 
Liddesdale, which might be considered neutral ground between 
the two Societies. Part of the programme was to visit Dawston 
Rigg, the reputed site of the battle of Daegsastan, recorded 
by the venerable Bede in his “ Ecclesiastical History ” and in the 
« Saxon Chronicle.” We were unable on that occasion to fulfil this 
part of the programme, and not until recently did I have the 
opportunity, along with the veteran secretary of the Berwick- 
shire Naturalists, Dr James Hardy, and other friends, to spend 
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