New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-01-07
1-uE A,,EnI,vas CLIMATE.

Seyelopuent and Substantial yilpr Of the human or
ranization We are ted that the tendency OF the al
uospheric influence s. which the Americans are SD
iee,ed is to produce excessive nervous activity, WIFI
ont due proportion OF muscular aid adlPsse SUD
stance and that the race must rapidly degenerate IN
such circumstances butor the constAntafuson Otresh
blood from the healthier ard more vigorous nations OF
Europe This theme is developed at length in an es-
say on the climate of the United states recently read
BY NJ Desor before general meeting OF the different
learned societies of Switzerland This able naturalist
brings an array of facts to support his theory. He
saws that whes German and Swiss immigrants arrive
in NewYork they generally find that climate does
not differ much from their own but that after time
they begin to notice little differences which compel
them in spite of themselves, to adopt our system OF
Iiyine-a system which their first arrival here they
invariably condemn. They know indeed, that our
northern States lie in nearly the same latitude as Gen.
trail Europe, and the wellinformed among them uu-
derstand that the isothermal circles coincide still
more exactly Add to this that they learn by ex
peIience that the winters in the neghbOrhood ofNew
York and Boston are about as cold as AZ Frankfort
Basic or ZHrich aud the summers at least as warm,
and yet after all there is difference which they
not understand.
The effects of this difference in climate are seen AS
well in some of the most ordinary operations OF every
day life as in its influence certain Wades. Our Ger
man immigrants find 70 their astonshmsnt on washing
day, that their things dry full twice quickly. even
in the depth of winter here as in Europe Accus-
toned too to bake bread for family use only in
some two or three weeks they are necessarily sur
rrsed when they discover that here on he second
third day it becomes hard, dry aud unpaatabe. Ger
nan housekeepers find however, that this dryness OF
our atmosphere has its advantages inismuch as vege
tables and fruits OF all kinds, more easily pre-
served throughout the winter than in their own Father
land. The Hamburger, although it is colder here at
Christmas than in his native city, sees those
frosted windows to which he has been accustomed from
childhood there rarely being sufficient moisture in our
atmosphere to produce them. Many additional id-
stances of the effect of the American climate on the
ordnary routine oflfe observes NJ Desor, might be
given and could also point out others where 1t at
fects the person For instance the hair soon osesits
" natural moisture and becomes dry.
But there are other facts equally remarkable
No sooner are the walls of building pastered than
the tenant may move in without any fear Of rheuma-
ti.m or those scknesses which would be the inevitable
terer himself can lay on the second coat at once
while on the other hand the upholsterer and piano
forte manufacturer must be very careful in select
ing their wood for what would be amply seasoned in
Europe would soon crack aud split here So many in
stances however in which the dryness of our atmos-
phere exerts its influence on different trades and man
ufsctures will naturally suggest themselves to our
readers that we deem it needless to point out more
The number of rainy days in the States if we eX
cept perhaps England and Norway is not less than in
Europe generally. But here the air never retains
the moisture no sooner does it raining than the
by rometer commences at once to sink and soon
shows that the atmosphere is as dry ever This dry
ness of the American climate is very readily explained
by our sayan. In America, as in Europe westerly
winds chiefly prevail They proceed, however, to the
coasts of Europe loaded with the moisture which they
have collected during their passage across the ocean
Consequently rain generally accompanies them. Here,
However the westerly winds reach US only after pass
ing over whole continent, and when they have lost
large portion of their moisture Therefore they sell
dom bring rain with them.
In considering the action of our climate on animals
and plapts, it would seem as Button has observed,
that while the animals generally that have been in
troduced here have on the whole rather deterOrated
from the present stock, plants the other hand have
decidedly improved. From this is argued that America
is peculiarly the continent for the vegetable, while
Europe is that for the animal kingdom The history,
however OF the United States is Of too recent date to
afford any very just grounds for examining the mod-
cations that the animal kingdom may have undergone,
and our author prefers rather looking at man himself
In the most Eastern of the New-EDgland States,
where the races have lot been so much mixed as in
tie more central ones we find that the original form
and features of the first settlers are entirely lost
that indeed within the last two hundred years an Anne
rican type has been produced. That this is not
the effect of any mixture OF race Is evident, from the
fact that where there has been the least mixture Of
race this American type is the most marked. We
must consequently attribute it to the influences exerted
on the human frame by our climate. Coarse hair, a
want of fulness of body, long neck and cOlorless
complexion" says NJ. Desor, &" are very frequent
characteristics Of the New EngGnder and that some
Of these depend on climate is by the fact that
trip to Europe will often give funess to the frame aud
color to the cheek, while the Englishman rarely
grows stouter but almost invariably thinner during
his sojourn in America" To the dryness of our at
mosphere too, NJ Desor would attribute that feyersh
activity which to belong peculiarly to the Anne
rcsn He considers that the want Of moisture in the
air may act to some extent on the nervous
,ysem, and supports his theory by noticing the fact
that a long continuance OF north east wind-the
wind that corresponds in dryness with our westerly
oneproduces the same kind and activity
among the inhabitants of the Jura. If dry wind,
II L. x1u tba Alns