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XXII. On the Temperature of Man within the Tropics. 
By John Davy, M.D., F.R.S., L. ^ E., Inspector- General of Army Hospitals. 
Received February 26, — ^Read May 2, 1850. 
In a paper on the Temperature of Man, which I had the honour to submit to the 
Royal Society in 1845, and which was published in the Philosophical Transactions 
for the same year, I expressed the hope of being able to continue the inquiry in the 
West Indies, to which I was then about to proceed. 
In the present communication I propose to lay before the Society the results of the 
trials made whilst there, viz. during a period of about three years and a half, exclusive 
of trifling interruptions, and of one prolonged through several weeks, between June 
1847 and October of that year, owing to illness. 
In making the trials, the same instrument as that before used was employed, and 
with like precautions to ensure accuracy, and as then, the subject of the observations 
was the same individual ; also, as then, the pulse and respirations were noticed at the 
time, and invariably in the sitting posture. 
The greater number of the observations w’ere made in Barbados, in a house situated 
about half a mile from the sea-shore and a few feet only above its level, — where the 
mean annual temperature of the atmosphere is about 80° Fahr., and the range of 
temperature throughout the year from about 10° to 18° in the open air. 
For the sake of comparison, I shall follow as closely as possible the order observed 
in my former paper in stating the results. 
1 . Of the Variation of Temperature during the twenty four hours. 
To ascertain this, observations were made commonly three times a day, viz. imme- 
diately on rising, about 6 a.m., before taking any food, and before making any exer- 
tion, even in dressing, clad merely in a light dress consisting of loose drawers and 
gown, which in that climate are almost always sufficient for comfort ; — next, about 
2 P.M., sometimes an hour earlier or later, and generally after occupation, either 
within doors at home, or at an office a mile and a half distant nearly, to which I went 
in a carriage, — the occupation being chiefly that of reading or writing, or some other 
requiring little bodily exertion ; — next, the last thing before retiring to rest at night, 
which was commonly at 10 o’clock, rarely later than 11. 
It may be further premised, that the manner of living, as to diet and the time of 
meals, was much the same as in England, — breakfasting commonly at 9 o’clock, 
dining about 5, without intermediate luncheon, and drinking tea about 7- 
The following Table exhibits the observations made in accordance with the above. 
