SEPTEMBER, 1920. MONTHLY WEATHER REVIEW. 505
January ..._________. February ______._.__. March _.._._.._._____ April _..__._.._.____. May .___._.__.____._. June ....__...__.____.
dent to raise the relative humidity to anything like that prevailin outdoors, owin to the annoving con-
ments made at Topeka, Kans. (previouslv discussed) humidity observations were made also in living rooms in various It was found that when
in cold weather, the windows and even painted walls of the moms were usually dripping with moisture. What would be the physical effect on passing from a room of this character into a piercing winter wind ?
densation on t E e windows or col % er walls. In the esperi-
the indoor R umidity was raised as high as 50 per cent arts of the city.
13.3.9 151.3 1m.11 173.5 128.2 173.1 115.0 15R.2 1W.7 171.3 101.4 1 8 .:
DISCUSSION BY AUTHOR.
MI-. Kincer’s review brings up several points of much importance. %or example, he points out that, if the article in Ecolo is correct, there “should be a marked
country having humid climates ancl those characterized by dryness of the atmos here, 6he comparison being to the disadvantage of the R rier climates.!’ This conclusion seems justified; it can not easily be tested, however, for many other factors, such as the deoree of outdoor life, the relative ages of the population, &e size of the cit,ies, and the amount of manufacturing and other unhenlthful occupations must be taken into account. Nevertheless, the statistics of three life insurance companies, which I have published in Oivilimtion miid L ’ l h d e , page 1S4,
show that when similar groups of “risks ” are compared the death rate in the dry parts of the United States is decidedly higher than in the moister re ‘011s. A ain,
the Geogra hical Revim, the cities in dry regions-for example, zaire, Mexico City, Madrid, and the cities of northern India-have much higher dea.th rates tha.n the corresponding cities in moister climates where the degree of rogress is similar. L o t h e r point raised b Mr. Ifincer is the importance
when an illness is contracted. I agree with iim entirely. He seems, however, to have overlooked the fact that I make comparisons between the death rate and the day when influenza was contracted in New York City. Fur- thermore, in a study of o erations published in The Modern Hospital, Vol. XI< No. 1,’ I have shown that the climatic conditions, especially the humidity, on the day when operations are eiqormed is much more impor-
the matter much more fully were it not that in t le nature of things it is very difficult to determine just when a
disease was contracted. The important point is that wherever it has been possible to examine the mat>ter thoroughly, both the day of death and the day when a given ailment was contracted appear to show a close relationship to the weather. Presumably, the relation- ship is stron est on the most critical day of the disease,,
ma be noted that a study of millions of dea.tlis described in %‘OM Power an.d Evolrrtion, and in Miern. Mtdieina, vol. 1, No. 1, shows that when the month is taken as a,
unit, the general relation between health and the climatic elements is the same w when the day is the unit. For exam le, except at *hi h tempera.tures, the nioist’cr
months. !?his has nothing to do with the seasons, for it appears when a single month, such as January, is ta.ken for a series of years.
contrast in the 7 eath rate between those sections of the
as I have shown in an article to be publis ff led short f y in
of the period preceding c9 eath and Fpeciall of the day
9
H
tant than on the day of % eath. I should have one into
no matter w fl en that may come. In this connection it.
mont K s re ularly show a 4 ower death rate than the clrisr
1 Reviewed in MONTELY WEAT~ER REVIEW, May, 1920,18.a?Q-~.
104.4 98.9 102.7 102.9 109.7 123.0
Still a third point is that if low tem erature is the cause of deaths in winter, “we should 1 ave a propassive decrease in deaths from northern to southern limts of
the country with the greatest number in the north central border States.” This conclusion would be ‘ustified were it not that a study of some 9,000,000 deat L in France, Jtaly, and the United States shows that the human frame is much more sensitive in climates where there.is little variation than in more rigorous climates. Hence the people in south Italy and New Orleans, for example, suffer severely in health under conditions of low tern era- ture which would seem very mild and would do a? most no harm to residents of t,he mountains of northern Italy or of Dakot.a. In another place Mr. Kincer says that if a high tem- irrature, such as an aver e of 75O within doors, is harm- 1111, ‘‘ we should espect to % d the seasonal death rate re- ‘versed in northern and southeim localities, Chicago and New Orleans, for esample.” That is, the highest death rate should come in Chicage in winter and in Ne* Or- leans in sumnier. This conclusion is not justified by t.ho facts, for in both laces the death rate from Decem- ber to March is rough7 20 per cent eater than from
I have said. Whenever the average temperature de- arts far from 64’ in either direction the death rate soon gegins to show an upward tendency. Peo le can do
1at.ing the tern erature of dwellings, but by chang
living out of doors in summer. In Chicago the great mass of ordinary people devote vastly more effort and expense to keeping warm in winter than to keeping cool in suplmer. In New Orleans the reverse is the cas:, in spite of the fact that the inhabitants are more sensitive to cold than are those of Chicago. Moreover, the Negroes who form so large a part of the PO ulation of New Orleans,
white man, but they floc R cityward in winter, thus raising the dea.th rate. In order to obtain a true comparison it is necessary to take cities of similar size, similar occu- pations, and as far as possible, of similar racid composi- tions. Moreovei, the northern city should be far enough north to be largely free from the injurious effect of sum- nier heat. No pair of cities satisfies these conditions, but, a comparison of Minneapolis with Atlanta and Birmin ham may be . instructive. The following table shows t 5 e average number of deaths per day by months. from 1913 to 1917. The northern city shows a maximum in January, while both of the others have theirs in June when the first heat of sunimer sweeps away a great many of the weaker parts of the commumty. This reversal between the north and the south agrees with the comlu- sions &awn from millions of deat,hs in a score of coun- tries.
June to September. is it just& C Y by anything that
much to protect themselves, however, not on P y by r e p -
Yi their mode of li f e, and by going out into the country an
not only are better ada ted to R ot weather than is the
D e d 8 p@ day, 191+1917?
____ - --
1
Minne-
1
Atlanta
apolis. Rir*g- ham.
171.8 154.0 146.7 143.8 . 157.8 162.0
July. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . August.. . . . . -. . . . . . - September. . . . . . -. . . October.. . -. . . . . -. . . November. . -. . . -. . . December.. -. . - - - -. .
2 It is noted that July and Au ust are the hottest months in Atlanta and Birmin - ham. both considerably warmer &an June yet In August the tabuhtion showsa de8& rate of 8 below the average for the y e a r .d . B. K.
506 MONTHLY WEATHER REVIEW. sEP!rEMBER, 1920
Drop of over loo Tvop of 4'-9" Chagee of 3O or less Kise 0 f P -9 ~ Rise of over 10'
Perhaps the most important feature of Mr. Kincer's aper is an attempt to show statistically the lack of re- fationship between outdoor conditions and the tem- perature and humidity within doors. I agree with him entirely that this is one of the points where further study is most needed. The only thing that has prevented a far fuller stud of the matter is the absence of recorcls and
be most valuable if the Weather Bureau.could keep thorough records of temperature, humiditmy, and varia- bility in hospitals, offices, and other inhabited buildings, and make careful comparisons between these and the outdoor conditions. If Mr. Kincer's suggestion lead to this result, they may rove of great value.
observations-one, b Prof. Ward, including 30 days, and
published. Both periods are too short to give final results. Mr. Floras data, however, include 89 observa- tions, for on most days he took records at morning, noon, and night. These give preliminary answers to two ques- tions raised by Mr. Kincer: Fiist., 'Is there a definite rela- tionship between tlie amount' of water vapor in the out- side air and in the inside air in winter P Second, When the temperature out of doors rises in winter, is there a tend- ency toward unduly high tern erature within dooi~8
humidity as if it were an absolute quantity. It scarcely need be said, however, that re!ative humidity means nothing unless the temperature is also stated. students have sometimes criticized Americans severe y for the im ortance which we apparently attach to rela- tive humi8ty. We seem to them to make the t.acit as- sumption that a relative humidity of 70 per cent, for example, at a temperature of 60" F. is oomparable to a
similar relative humiditv a t 10' F. In the first case, however, a cubic foot of air contains nea.rly ei lit times
attem ted always to state the temperature as well as
better to use the vapor content of the atmosphere. I ani glad that Mr. Hincer's suggestions once more call utteii- tion to the matter, for we need a complete change of attitude. If the data given by Mr. Flora and quoted by Mr. Kin- cer are analyzed in respect to the vapor content of the atmosphere, a close relation between the amount of
vapor in the outside air and within doors is at once appar- ent.
the lack o 9 funds for carrying on observations. It would
In the present case !i r. Kincer uses two small series of
the other, by Mr. F ? ora, including 32 clays as originally
In discussing the first quest.ion, R r. Kincer uses relative
as much water vapor as in the second. Whi P e I have
the re r ative humidity, I realize that it would have been
This is shown by the following table:
14 71.4 10 1s 73.0 22 13.9 13 73.9 I
Crams of Grains of vapor per Number vapor per cuhic foot of of cases. cubic foot of autsido air.
!!
inside air.
0.00 to 0.59
0.51 to 1.00 0.01 to 1.50 1.61 to 2.00 2.01 to 2.50 2.51 to 3.00 3.01 to 3.50 3.51 tO 4.50 Over 4.50
6 1 1.39 12 1. e4
17 21 i 2.m
Lc I
j 3.24
5 1 4.83
n 3.00
7 ' 3.73
The first column shom the number of grains of wat,er vapor in a cubic foot of the outside air RF deduced from
Mr. Flora's table. The nest shows t.he number of obser- vations, while the t.hird eves the average number of grains of moisture per cubic foot in the inside air. The
vapor content of the imido air increases with almost perfect regularity in harmony with the inorease of the vapor content of the outside air. There can be little
question that during the period of Mr. Flora's observa- tions the amount of vapor within doors was a direct function of the mount out of dooms In respeot to the second uestion, confusion has arisen
winter when it lasts for some days and the effect of a ?*iw of temperature. In t,he article in Ecology, which is reviewed by Alr. Kincer, and in various other places, I have endeavored to make it clear that' t.hese two con- ditions must be sharply distinguished. A relatively high outdoor temperature in winter in the northern United States is favorable unless t.he houses are kept too warm or unless people espose themselves unwisely.
On the other hand, the rise from a low temperature to a moderate temperature is almost always accompanied b
POUW and Etdution, where 400,000 deaths in New York City have been studied in relation to the daily chan ea
of temperature during a period of eight years. &r. Kincer, if I understand him correctly, maintains that Flora's ligures show no relation between inside tempera- ture and tlie rise in the outside temperature. In order to test this I have t,aken Flora's data and have compared the indoor t,emperat.ure with the changes in the outdoor temperature during the preceding 24 hours. The results appear bolow.
between the effect of a mo 8 erat,ely high temperature in
an increa.se in the death rate, as I have shown in. Wor H
Change in outsldr
1 I
Averacein- j temperature in 24 NEg!of side tem- hours. perature.
I--------I-I
0
I
The first column shows the amount of change in tempernt.ure during 34 hours. The second shows the imniher of cases, and the third bhe average temperature iiicloors. While these figures are not uite so re ular
as the lmxediiig set, it is clear that t PI ere is a kirly systematic rise from an imide temperature of 71.4"
following a dro21 of 10" or more to an imide temperature
of 73.9" when the teni erature Tose 10" or more. The work of thc New S o i s City Ventilation Commission sho\r-s conclusivblv that. such a diff erence of 2.5" produces
it strain upon blie 'lieart a i d hence u on the whole system. Thus, in this case as in tlie other,%,. Kincer's attempt to apply R t.est by meacs *of esact records furnishes valutllde evidence in support of tlie c.onc.luaions reached in the n.rt,icle i:i Ecdoqy.' In regard to nieiitd tesk iii tlie schools of New York City, I have elsewhere (World Power and Evolution) shown t,hat concerned. A will short,ly be published, olfect of t.emperature tioiis in hospitals, the by t,he slight humification of the schools can scarcely be expected to have esceeded 1
or 3 per ce:it. This small fi nre arises from the fact that: tlic 1iuiiiific.ation raised t % e relative humidity only
. . . . .
: No question wad rrrlscd as to the coniparahilit; of the outdoor and indoor absolute liiiiniditv 3s it was real1:ed that there must nereskarlly be a close relation In these so long a3 u<rrdditlonrl moist lire was added to the indoor air. Prof. Huntington, however used rclativr hiimidltr and not absolute humidity in his Investlgatmn, and these value; -. were under dirriies1oii.J. B. K.
4 The question more psrtlcillarly raised in this connection was the JustiEcatim for the refineluent of the tsbulatlon of outside tem erature data to which Prof. Huntin ton carried his coniparlsons. Elght divkions of !empe.rature were made, most1 oflO' intervals. In the tabulation of indoor values here g i w , however the sbsolug rmp, omitting the first case, is little more than half of a degree.4. B. k.
SEPTEMBER, 1920. MONTHLY WEATHER REVIEW. 507
from 29 er cent to 42 per cent, the mean temperature
? Both of these degrees of humidity are much too ow 67 according to the results obtained from a study of pneumonia, o erations, and deaths in general. Fur- thermore the cfildren were subjected to the slight1
during-the other 144 they lived under the same condi- tions as did the children who were in the drier room. A difference of 1 or 2 per cent in health could scarcely be expected to be evident in mental achievement, especially in view of the fact that the gadiiip depended upon only a single examination. ne c ild with a cold would be enough to upset the entire result. The question of the practicability of humification is of great importance. In many places it is to-day im- practicable to have the degree of humidity which would seem to be desirable. That, however, is no reason for giving up the attempt. If we need greater humidity within our houses for the sake of health, the thin to do is to devise new methods of obtailiii?g it. bouble windows, for example, make a great difference in this respect; so, too, do pro er air space.s withui walls. In
effect of going from a warm room with fairly high hu- midit to the cold outside air in winter. I, too, like Mr. Zincer, supposed a t one time that this was injurious. In order to test the matter, however, I iiinde iiiquiries among greenhouse men who, more than almost nil
others, are subject to such chaugcs. was repeatedly met by the most posit,ive statement that greenhouse men feel no ill effect.s from going from the warm, moist reenhouse air to the cold air outdoow,
temperature, say at 65”. This point, like niniiy of those discussed here, opens another great field where our knowledge is slight and where much further stuclp is needed.-E. H.
humified air only about 24 hours per week, whi P e
conclusion, a word shoul B be said about the physiological
P
especially when t fl e greenhouses are kept near the ideal
To niy surprise
RELATIONS BETWEEN THE METEOROLOGICAL ELE- MENTS AND THE NUMBER OF DEATHS FROM INFLAM- MATORY DlSEASES OF THE RESPIRATORY ORGANS, AT PARIS. By Loms BESSON.
[Abstracted from Cbmptm Rendw (Paris AceB.), Oct. 11,1920, pp. W.-ssS.]
Having drawn upon the Bulletin hebdomadnire de sta-
ti& ue municjpale for figures regarding the number of deat L from diseases of the respisatory organs, the author has studied them in relation to the daily and weekly means of the rincipal meteorological elements as cleter-
sidered were aoute bronchitis, chronic bronchitis, pneu- monia, broncho-pneumonia, pulmonary congestipn, and other affections of the respiratory apparatus, wlth the exception of phthisis. The record covers the 10 ycxrs
1904-1913, or 522 weeks. Evaluating the population of Paris a t 2,7S4,0OO during the period in question, he finds that there was a meekly average of 142 deaths from these causes, but there is a marked annual variation. There is a niasinium in the middle of February and a minimum a t the begiimihg of September. There is a secondary maximum ui the mid- dle of April and a secondar minimum in the middle of
enultimate weekly mean of teniperature and these {eaths, the one curve being the inverse of the other. There is also a direct relation between the nuniber of davs
mined at the 8 ontsouris Observatory. The diseases con-
March. There is a marke (9 relation between the ante-
these two factors of temperature and wind direction, it is possible to eliminate their effects and determine a seasonal curve. When this is done, it is found that the h t six months of the year have more deaths than the last, and that November is the most favorable, whereas January and April are the most unfavorable. Humidity is onIy a secondary factor. to these three, because i t is dependent upon the direction of the wind. NNE. to E. winds are dr winds, and since there is an
it may be said that the dry air is not favorable, a fact which does not justify the good reputation, as the author sa *s, of the etit-fr&l sec.1
mary, will be published later elsewhere.-0. L. M.
increase in the iiuniber o 9 deaths following these winds,
$he detai Q s of the study, of which this note is a sum-
COLDS AND THEIR RELATION TO THE PHYSICS OF THE ATMOSPHERE.
By C. M. RICHTER, M. D.
[Author’s concliisions reprinted from the llledkol Record, New York, Dea 8,1913.
1. Acute coryza, commonly called a “cold,” depends for its develo ment primarily on an excess of moisture in
3. It develops, therefore, principally during the cyclonic w.eaQier condition called a LOW, es ecially when a period of very dry weather has precedecfa LOW and when, in consequence, the change from previous dry air to the iiicoming very moist air is inost rapid.
3. The excessivesand more or less continuom nasal secretion a t the beginning of an acute coryza rel!eves the respiratory apparatus from the otheiwlse damaglng effect of an overcharge of moisture.
4. A child’s nasal mucosa and the hyperesthetic one are es ecially, prpne to suffer.
physiological vasomotor action analogous to the profuse and more or less continuous-perspiration of the outer d i n , which sets in whenever air temperature and relative humidity transgresses certain limits .and whlch forces thereb! better conditions for evaporation.
6. Latent microbisni becomes active on the mucosa only after these air conditions have favored Its develop- ment for some time. Microbism is very rarely the pn- mary cause c.f an acute coryza.
the air we in 1 ale.
5. # he “running of the nose” constitutes in part a
NOTE ON TWO EARLY PAPERS ON THE PATHOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF CLIMATE.
Dr. I. M. Cline, who was for over ten pars professor of cliniatology in the University of Texas and connected during that time with the United States Weather Bureau, and now in char e OI the United States Weather Bureau station in New 8 deans, La., made two contributlons to the climatology of Texas based on over twenty years’ records of Galveston, Houston, and other laces.*
These papers were read before the Tesas State bedical Association in 1S95 and 1S9G and were entitled “The Climatic Causation of Disease with a Chart Showin the Pathological Distribution of Climate in the Unite f
I Y. Th. Tommaslna (Comptcs Rcndus,. Nov. 8,1920, p. 939Tgqe) takes ercepltiom to
the author’s conc!usion. whch. he sa s, IS b e d upon a.statISticrd study whlch was
not ad Ute, o w w to the peruharitgs of dlseases o! the respiratory orgsns. *In *%he. Month2 . Bullctiit Oflhe Tms Weaalhrr Sfrtrce.”,November, 1690. to O c t o k 1801 Dr. Cline pubbslied studies on tho comparison oi dally meantemperature change, and’depsrtures Irom normal with the dally mortality from severaldlseases hGslvestm Tex. His dab covered. the years 1875-1869, inrlusive. Simllar studies, Dr. Clhd belieyes. should be made in various parts of the country, thus ai7ordhg amedlcal clfme tologxcal survey which would be of great asslstanm to the physician rn Selwtlng the proper climate for hb patient.-EnmB.
of &e week receding the death upon d.&ll there \!-&e winds from t% e NNE. to E. and the deaths. Considering