ON THE INFLUENCE OF WEATHER UPON MORTALITY. 



343 



tween five and twenty years, is more like that observed with phthisis, the order 

 of the months, according to the death-rate between twenty and sixty years, 

 appearing to hover between the two. 



The range of the death-rate between the month with the highest and the 

 month with the lowest mortality varies with the period of life. As already 

 adverted to, it is 33-6 in infancy, 19-2 in old age, and only 5*4 in youth. In adult 

 life, over a period of forty years, the range is 24-2. 



I shall not extend my paper by pursuing the same investigations with this as 

 with the previous subjects of inquiry. There is only one more question I will ask 

 of the facts now before me. It is this, — What is the effect of protracted cold in 

 winter, and of sustained heat in summer, upon the death-rates at different periods 

 of life ? The question is answered in the following table. The periods selected 

 for the inquiry are from November 1859 to April 1860, and from May to October 

 1857:— 



I 



Nov. 



Dec. 



Jan. 



Feb. 



March. 



April. 



Mean Temperature in 1859-60 



39-4 



34-0 



35-5 



34-0 



38-4 



41-5 



Average of the Six corresponding Months 







39-5 



38-8 



37-4 



38-2 



39-8 



43-2 



Death-rate 0-5 years, 1859-60 . 







107-8 



114-4 



1312 



1552 



131-2 



130-4 



Average, «Sjc. 









111-5 



113-9 



122-7 



121-9 



113-9 



107-5 



Death-rate 5-20 years, 1859-60 









23-6 



23-2 



27-4 



28-3 



26-9 



26-8 



Average, &c. 









22-4 



22-7 



23-9 



24-1 



24-3 



25-1 



Death-rate 20-60 years, 1859-60 









63-4 



77-3 



791 



861 



76-2 



77-5 



Average, &c. .... 









61-9 



67-8 



72-8 



670 



70-2 



67-9 



Death-rate 60 &c. years, 1859-60 









41-5 



490 



42-8 



60-7 



48-4 



55-2 



Average, &c. 









41-3 



435 



45-9 



440 



41-5 



42-1 





May. 



June. 



July. 



Aug. 



Sept. 



Oct. 



Mean Temperature in 1857 .... 



49-8 



57-4 



580 



60-0 



56-1 



49-6 



Average, &c. 











50-3 



55'9 



56-8 



57-2 



52-5 



47-2 



Death-rate 0-5 years, 1857 











100-2 



90-7 



100-3 



114-5 



111-0 



93 6 



Average, &c. 











97-2 



91-3 



96-1 



89-1 



92-2 



96-2 



Death-rate 5-20 years, 1857 











22-6 



25-1 



209 



19-4 



191 



22-9 



Average, &c. 











23-8 



23-3 



22-5 



197 



20-3 



21-5 



Death-rate 20-60 years, 1857 











61-0 



63-4 



56-6 



59-3 



51-3 



57-4 



Average, &c. 











63-2 



59-2 



54-7 



51-7 



48-6 



51-0 



Death-rate 60 &c. years, 1857 











35-3 



34-1 



32-8 



31-0 



30-0 



34-0 



Average, &c. 











35-2 



34-9 



31-2 



28-7 



26-7 



28-8 



From the foregoing table it would seem : — 



1. That a protracted low temperature in winter largely increases the death- 

 rate amongst children under five years of age; and that the death-rate rises 

 almost immediately upon the fall of the thermometer, and falls again so soon as 

 the temperature begins to rise. 



