SINGAPORE RAINFALL. 63 
town south of the Singapore river, places deficient in water 
supply, and where sanitation of any sort was never thought 
of. 
Then, again, in 1875-77, outbreaks of cholera in an 
epidemic form were mainly averted by the untiring exertions 
of Messrs Barytiss and Corson who had charge of the water- 
works then in course of completion. They opened up the 
conduit in several places near the Race Course, and stationed 
a steam engine at the distal end of the aqueduct and pumped 
the water across the canal, rendering the precious element 
available to large numbers of people ; and, later on, by the 
completion of the water-works, good wholesome water was 
distributed throughout the town, which has helped to pro- 
duce so marked a change, that since then, cholera or chol- 
eraic diarrhea has not appeared in an epidemic form. 
As regards beri-beri, [ think the Medical returns will 
show a marked falling off in the numbers treated since the 
removal of prisoners to the new Jail. 
There can be no question that a great many unknown 
influences are at work on and around this globe of ours 
which more or less affect the health of its inhabitants. For 
some time past attention has been drawn to the wonderful 
spots on the sun, and they have been the subject of study of 
many observers, but the results must necessarily be slow. 
That the moon also has a share in some of these influences 
must be conceded, for it is well known that atmospheric 
disturbances are more frequent at certain stages of the 
moon’s phases than at others, and quite recently there has 
been free expression regarding the influences caused or to 
be caused by the perihelia of certain planets, so that the 
conclusion is still forced on us, that it is as yet premature to 
calculate with any certainty on this question; yet every little 
effort towards helping its solution should be encouraged, 
and in time the skein which now seems tangled may be 
unravelled. 
In connection with this line of thought it may be sug- 
gested that in this, almost the weaithiest of the British 
Colonies, it is not too soon to provide for an observatory un- 
der an Astronomer and Meteorologist. The equatorial posi- 
tion of Singapore gives to the Astronomer a more interesting 
