326 Dr, Darlington's Pluviometrical Observations. 



Art. XIII. — Pluviometrical Observations, made at West- 

 Chester, Penn. by Wm. DARLrNGTON, xM. D. and commu- 

 nicated in a letter, dated 



Washington City, Feb. 14, 1823. 



Sir, 



In the year 1817, (on the 20th of June,) I commenced 

 keeping an account of the quantity of rain and snow which 

 fell in the borough of West- Chester, in the State of Penn- 

 sylvania — a statement of which I now submit to you; and 

 if you should be of opinion that it is worthy of preservation 

 in your Scientific Journal, it is entirely at your service. If 

 observations of this description were made for a series of 

 years, in the various sections of the United States, they 

 would undoubtedly tend to furnish us with more accurate 

 conceptions of the nature of our climate, as well as with the 

 means of comparing it with that of other countries. They 

 would also enable us to ascertain, in the course of time, the 

 real character of those changes which are supposed to be ta- 

 king place in the climate of this continent, by reason of cul- 

 tivation, clearing of forests, and other causes. Some useful 

 data, likewise, might possibly be afforded by such accounts, 

 to assist Medical Philosophers in investigating the causes and 

 character of prevailing diseases, in the country. In the 

 present instance, I have to regret the occurrence of an hia- 

 tus in the account, from 29th November 1819, to March 7th 

 1820, owing to the accidental loss of my memoranda for 

 that period : but the statement for the residue of the time 

 embraced, may be relied upon as being complete, and tol- 

 erably accurate. I am sensible that it would have been 

 much more satisfactory, if it had been accompanied with 

 Thermometrical and Barometrical observations ; but I had 

 it not in my power to furnish a statement of that sort as ful- 

 ly as could be wished, and have therefore omitted it alto- 

 gether. 



