ON THE MEDICAL TOPOGRAPHY OF SINGAPORE, 
459 
The atmosphere of Singapore will therefore hold in solution double 
the quantity of moisture of that of Great Britain. While the 
temperature of the air rises in an arithmetical ratio, the power 
of absorbing and retaining moisture consequent on the rise of tem¬ 
perature increases in a geometrical ratio. We shall now examine 
the temperature as shewn by the Thermometer. 
This instrument, so useful in shewing the actual rise and fall of the 
temperature, gives but a poor idea of our feelings, which in a latitude 
like this are susceptible of the slightest change, to such a degree, 
that, judging from what experience lias taught in other and colder 
climes, we suppose that great changes have taken place, when in fact 
but little have ; for instance, before a squall we feel the air hot and 
oppressive, the perspiration stands on the forehead in a sensible 
state, a relaxation of mind and body is experienced, the muscles lose 
their tone and the spirits their elasticity, but after the squall the air 
feels cool, nature seems to have thrown off a load, the spirits reco¬ 
ver their elasticity, the muscles their tone, and man finds that he is 
himself again. Changes have taken place in the state of electricity, 
moisture and temperature ; but with people in general too much im¬ 
portance is attributed to the last, and much surprised are they when 
told that the great difference in their feelings is caused by the slight 
fall of from 3 to 7 degrees of the thermometer. According to the 
calculation of Professor Meyer of Gottingen, the medium temperature 
of the air at sea in the latitude of the Equator is 84^° ; at the lati¬ 
tude of 1 Q 17 north, which Singapore is, the increase of tempera¬ 
ture is only a fractional part more. From actual observations let 
us see if this calculation corresponds with the truth. These obser¬ 
vations taken at the Singapore Observatory during the years 1841- 
42-43-44-45, were conducted in a building situated at the dis¬ 
tance of a mile from the centre of the town, having no house con¬ 
tiguous and built on the bank of a river subject to tidal influence. 
It was half a mile from the sea, from which it was separated by a 
mangrove swamp, houses and cocoanut trees. Towards the land it 
was clear of jungle and cultivation, the alluvial soil being sand with a 
clay bottom. The thermometer was placed in a circular box in a 
