166 MESSRS. RANSOME AND VERNON ON THE INFLUENCE 



1857, to the week ending November 6th 1858, they pub- 

 lished a carefully compiled weekly return of new cases of 

 disease in London, furnished by the voluntary efforts of 

 upwards of two hundred gentlemen connected with the 

 medical profession. The tables are accompanied by meteor- 

 ological observations made at six stations in and out of 

 London^ and although not perfectly accurate, yet they are 

 of great value ; it is much to be regretted that they were 

 carried on for so short a period. 



Hitherto careful collation of the two classes of facts 

 recorded in these tables seems to have been wanting ; and 

 in the present paper we have endeavoured to supply the 

 deficiency, and to deduce from the comparison some ge- 

 neral conclusions. 



We must here state that our inquiry originated in some 

 investigations which were made for the Manchester and 

 Salford Sanitary Association by a committee consisting of 

 Messrs. Curtis, E,ansome and Vernon. 



The method we have employed in making the necessary 

 comparisons of the two series of observations has been as 

 follows : 



1st. We have projected the medical and meteorological 

 returns upon separate charts, so as to form curves, which 

 represent the prevalence of the disease or the state of the 

 atmosphere at any particular time ; and then, by com- 

 paring the two charts, and noticing any evident coinci- 

 dences, we have been led to the conclusions specified in 

 the paper, respecting the following diseases ; Diarrhoea, 

 dysentery, pneumonia, bronchitis and catarrh, pleurisy, 

 continued fever, rheumatic fever, measles, whooping cough, 

 and scarlatina. 



DiARRHCEA. 



A high mean temperature (above 60°) would seem to have 

 a powerful influence in predisposing to this disease; 



