1871.] 



Change of Climate on the Human Economy, 



303 



Table III. — To show the conjoint effect of Tropical Climate, Salt Meat, 

 and hard Subsolar work on the weight, 



1st weighing, June 2, 1864, on entering tropics, | d avg .f 62 ^ u the tropics, 



2nd „ September 14, 1864, on quitting tropics, j ^ \ 42 in temp. zone. 



Average temperature at Cape York 80° F. 



o n , • 3 ri n f Food consumed per man daily. 



Salt meat issued on 51 days I * lfe oz. drs. 



(with 90 lime-juice days) j Average of first week ... 2 5 llf 



Fresh meat issued on 53 ,, ^ 8 j ag{ . 2 8 3| 



Age. 



Total 

 number 

 weighed. 



Number 

 and 

 percentage 

 unchanged. 



Number 

 and 

 percentage 

 who gained. 



Range 



of 

 gain. 



Ave- 

 rage 

 gain. 



Number 

 and 

 percentage 

 who lost. 



Range 



of 

 loss. 



Ave- 

 rage 

 loss. 



15 to 25 

 25 „ 35 

 35 „ 45 

 45 „ 55 



63 

 35 



5 



per cent. 

 2=3-18 

 1=2-86 



per cent. 

 3=4-76 

 3=8-57 



lb. 



2-2 

 4-8 



lb. 



2 



5-33 



per cent. 

 58=92-06 

 31=88-57 

 5=100 



lb. 



1-24 

 1-17 

 5-16 



lb. 



6- 34 



7- 74 

 9-2 



























Totals 

 and per- 

 centages. 



103 



3=2-91 



6=5-82 



2-8 



3-66 



94=91-26 



1-24 



'6*96 



Y 



9=8-74 per cent. 



Table III., the record of another trip to Torres Strait, also during the 

 S.E. monsoon, shows that the body is still further affected when a third 

 injurious influence, viz. hard subsolar work, is added to these. Thus, of 

 103 weighed, 1 per cent, lost flesh to an average of 7 lb. nearly ; the 

 number of boys and young men being large, because most employed, 

 although the average individual loss was greatest among the seniors — thus 

 6 lb., 7 lb., and 9 lb. under 25, 35, and 45 respectively. This did not 

 arise from a reduced diet ; for the daily average consumption at the end 

 of the period, when thus losing, had increased by oz. per man, 



A contrast of Tables IV. and V. further shows that season materially 

 influences this reduction in weight. Table IV. gives the results of 46 days 

 during the cool dry S.E. monsoon (aver. temp. 82° F.), which lasts for 

 9 months ; and Table V. of 54 days during the sultry rainy N.W. mon- 

 soon (aver. temp. 87° an exaggerated form of tropical weather related 

 to the other as are the winter and summer in temperate latitudes. While 

 the number who lost flesh during the dry season was 44 per cent., it was 

 76 per cent, during the wet monsoon. The small per centage of gain even 

 among the strong and vigorous juniors in the wet season, viz. 10 and 14| 

 per cent., is worthy of contrast with that of the dry season, viz. 59£ and 

 43^- per cent., as it shows that even the healthiest age cannot long with- 

 stand the emaciating influence of the worst season of the tropical year. The 

 high average percentage of loss (71b.) and low percentage of gain, 2 J lb., 

 during the wet, contrasted with that of the dry monsoon (31b. and 

 4 T 7 lb.), which equally affects all ages, further illustrates this. The in- 



