162 
for the entire period was — 3 '48. It is evident therefore 
that the general character of the climate during this period 
was similar to that of the period 1863-68, and therefore I 
inferred that the mean rate of mortality would be found to 
be correspondingly high. The following figures for Lanca- 
shire will show that this inference was correct : — - 
Annual Rate of Mortality 
per cent in Lancashire. 
1847 3-582 
1848 2-765 
1849 3-037 
1850.. .... 2-464 
1851.. . 2-647 
1852 2-889 
1853. 2-818 
1854.. . 2-766 
Mean Rate = 2-871 
The mean rate 2-871 is slightly above that of the five 
years 1863-67 which was 2 - 77 5, and is 0-313 above that of 
the favourable years 1855-62. This difference of 0*313 is 
equivalent to an excess of 12*2 per cent per annum in the 
number of deaths. It thus appears that during a period of 
eight years, 1847-54, in which the spring and summer rain- 
fall was considerably below that of autumn and winter, the 
average rate of mortality in Lancashire was 2-871; and that 
in the next following eight years, 1855-62, in which the 
rainfall of spring and summer was considerably above that 
of autumn and winter, the rate of mortality fell to 2‘558 ; 
but that during the five following years 1863-67 when the 
spring and summer rainfall again fell decidedly below that 
of autumn and winter, the mean rate of mortality rose to 
2*775 in spite of all the sanitary improvements that had been 
made in almost every town and district in the county. 
Looking to the enormous sums of money that have been 
expended of late years by boards of health, and town coun- 
cils, in making sanitary improvements, these results show 
clearly that the effects of meteorological changes upon the 
public health far exceed those arising from defective drain- 
age, ill-contrived privies and water closets, crowded dwell- 
