An inaugural address on some of the relations of meteorological phenomena to man : delivered before the Society of Medical Officers of Health, October, 1882 / by John W. Tripe.

  • Tripe, John William, 1821-1892.
Date:
[1882]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An inaugural address on some of the relations of meteorological phenomena to man : delivered before the Society of Medical Officers of Health, October, 1882 / by John W. Tripe. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    Europeans, as their children usually have comparatively feeble frames and lessened vitality, unless sent in childhood to a temperate climate. These characteristics are also more markedly shown in the next generation, so that, unless crossed with native blood, the race dwindles away and eventually dies out. In cold climates the reverse occurs, as the change even from England is usually attended with better digestion and improved vitality, whilst in very cold, or even Arctic climates, the vigour and strength of Europeans are not im- paired if plenty of food, good clothing, and sufficient protection from the weather can be obtained. One reason for this is that during the winter there is but little wind in very cold climates. Dr. Parkes, at p. 431 of his work on Practical Hygiene, makes some very pertinent remarks on the influence of great heat on those who were born in temperate climates. He says that, as yet, no sort of answer has been received as to the influence of high tempe- rature on a race dwelling generation after generation on the same spot. “ Does the amount of heat per se, independent of food and all other conditions, affect the development of mechanical force and temperature, and the coincident various processes of formation and destruction of tissues ? Is there a difference, in these respects, on the resulting action of the eliminating organs in the inhabitants of the equator and of 50 or 60 degs. N. lat. ? This is certainly a problem for the future.” During a voyage round the Cape to India, Dr. Belcher made some very careful observations on the temperature of his body, and found that, for each increase of 1 deg. in the mean daily temperature of the air, there was an increase in the temperature of his body to the extent of one-twentieth of a degree. Rattray has also shown that, whilst the number of respirations per minute decreased in the tropics, the quantity of air contained in the lungs increased. It is also well known that evaporation from the skin is increased about 25 per cent., taking one day with another, whilst the amount of excreted urine and of urea is lessened ; that digestion is often im- paired, and the average number of pulsations of the heart diminished by from three to four beats per minute. In torrid zones, not only do all the ordinary diseases of temperate climates exist, but diseases of the liver, pulmonary phthisis, fever, cholera, and dysentery prevail to a very great extent, and carry oil large numbers of the population. Most of these appear to depend partly on bad food and water, as well as on imperfect sanitary