180 MESSRS. RANSOME AND VERNON ON THE INFLUENCE 



ture from that of humidity, but a moderately low 

 temperature seems to be favourable to the progress of 

 the disease, whilst the extremes of both heat and cold 

 seem, often to exert a disturbing influence one way or 

 the other ; a temperature above the average generally 

 diminishing, cold increasing the number of cases. 



From May gth to August ^th 18^7, the degree of 

 humidity remains low (below o"j), although fluctuating 

 considerably, and the number of cases is small ; but in the 

 lesser fluctuations the two curves rise and fall together in 

 a remarkable manner. In the seventeen weeks from April 

 n to August 8 1857, there are only three exceptions to 

 this observation ; the first two exceptions occur together 

 in the weeks ending May 2oprd and o^oth, the number of 

 cases increasing while the degree of humidity falls, and it 

 may be noticed that the first decided rise in the tempera- 

 ture occurs in the preceding week ; the mean temperature 

 then rose from 45° to 56°, and during that week and the 

 next it remained nearly 6° above the average — the baro- 

 meter regularly descending for three weeks. 



The second exception is in the week ending June zyth, 

 and at this time again the perturbing influence of heat 

 seems to act, the mean temperature rises 7°, and is 7° 

 above the average. The humidity increases, and the baro- 

 meter goes down, but the number of cases diminishes. 



On July 18/A the scarlatina-curve begins to rise, and on 

 the whole continues to do so until October o^ist, thus 

 accompanying very closely the degree of humidity; but 

 in the week ending August 2(^th there is a sudden fall 

 both in the degree of humidity and in the number of cases, 

 the mean temperature being very high (68°) and 7° above 

 the average. 



From August 29^^ there is a steady rise in the number 

 of cases until October o,rd, but the following week a slight 



