The New York herald., 1868-02-28
BOOK NOTICE.

RAINBOW, WHEN, WHERE, Why ir IL MEA.
sURED. BY q. j. Symons, +. N. s., editor OF ''Sy-
mons Monthly meteorological Magazine" &c.
London: Edward Stanford, No. q Charing Gross.
This neatly printed little book rain. rain gauges.
rain and their value, and the annual rain
fall through OF years in all tho var Gus conli-
nents. islands and countries the face OF the gobe
The volume also embraces interesting chapter OF "A
Few Facts Relative to the Fla OF RAM ano,ner ION
Rainfall aud sairnon" and another Kaiu aud Dis
ease" from the Medical Times and Gazette from which
We make the following extract and 1t deserves general
and thoughtful reading throughout the Uuied sates:-
DR. Richardson proves TO US, in his valuable and prac
cai lecture the poisons OF spreading Diseases how
certain amount OF dlaton by renders tho ncst
viruienL organic poisons innocuous, aua Dr. dWard
Ballard, most aUoratc paper lately before
Royal Medical and Cnlruraicd Soci.ty influence
OF temperature in the p oduclion OF disease mas au-
pended a diagram ch iilustra the elects OF
ill oj i'll diminishing the amount of sickness.
Wine DR. Richardson shows, however that mucn di
tion destroy organic he dfa@s ut.
tenon 10 the tact sufficient rainfall over All area be-
spread win animal excrea or tue purposes o. agrlcui.
may injurious elect upon the heath or
the neisnbJrins community and, While on this subject
do than refer fact which has a.eiy
under observation, and oi when an arcie ia
Dir. symons Maoroogtcat Mdgahe, On tne inAu-
Of rainfall the depth OF well water, has fe-
minded US. Last year, town in the western part OF
England at ali times subject in its distr CT,
Is lower level tnan aud separated fron the
western by u deep river 10 lreva OF low lever
and aiarTnea owing 10 its impure water supply, be-
suddenly the seat of cnoiea-the whole town had
suffered iesriuliy ls4e. on examining tae geological
character OF the district found iinue-
date,y low the spii-crust stratum or brck ciays
varying from Twelve TO twenty-five feet In thckn 50.
resting bed OF sand from eight To ten feet thicks
below strata of gravel 1arl, and lastly, req
Sandstone oi underlined dep Ia IN tho cons.rdclon OF
the wells the ciay would necessarily be pierced and
water would then be found abundance immediately
ON reaching tue sand. lhe water thus obtaued had
from iiue been considered bad, but every
new then il observed to have is evii qualities
intensified, and this apparently IN most eccentric
manner un, II was found tha the rainfall int cncsd
hntb II .uttlp @ md M
had nttie Difficulty IN solving the lroolem Tor wo
very Vel knew that within four mites Of the town tuis
my cropped out ON the surface, hav-
ing ut some remote geological period oeen elevated
through the clay OF many hundred acres.
vast Quantities OF potatoes are cultivated tho
hauins which, after tue tuuer5 have been collected,
beng allowed The ground for tne sake Of
MANURE addition TO animal excreia which arc pleuu.
iuy. scattered over The he'ds. mus an extensive
supersiatum OF decomp0sed and decomposing vegeta-
be and animal matter overspread at times tue na.uraa
so, aud lay rs It were IL ne NOUN Of inns suo o0l.
CROP the rain that falls thereon after saturation
WITH organic poison, readily and quc1iy nds u way
beneath the clay the svc, Of the wsis OF the IN
fecled ,own. Wine the caoera lasted The municipal
aud poor law authorizes seemed 10 appreciat, the
meteorological and geological causes Oh the unneaithy
state u an imlortanl district OF their borough and
were aroused or ie sense OF their duties.
and actually gan &c think Of Uoaning water from the
pure uncontaninatod sources III thar neg0DOrsng
red sandstone hills. The Immediate cause Of their
alarm however, passed away, aud their good resOiu-
all bound up In rcd tape and slfanged 50
there is no lime to avert similar ca,aniy %
those OF lS49 and 1866 should IL recar this autumn In
our country let otner towns take warning from the
ioly OF this one.
Here IS the solution OF the agues and feyers OF Long
Island Staten Island, Jersey and all the other infected
surroundings metropolis and Of all the fever and
aguc and lever districts in the world with their various
notifications stagnant water under the surface soal
arrested by hard pan and evaporang from the meg
heats, stagnant ponds and decaying vegetation, the
exnaiaons OF stagnsn and canals add Immensely
TO bills ormoraty everywhere. but these bills might
be immensely reduced By drainage and by simply 70.
memberng that this fever producing malaria begins 70
rise with the setting and continues TO rise till killed
by the of the he morning. This well under-
stood among the od inhabitants OF south Caroins an4
their FIRST prccaution TO the stranger coming among
them In the sickIy season.
Mr. Symons' book, however, Il too much made up Of
figures of ranfals in various places and too little
devoted general treatment Of his important SUBJ Ct
In shur chapter Tor instance, he might have tod hlo
readers how the rams controlled by the greae
currents of the ocean, such tue Gulf stream without
which British Islands would be destitute Lab.
rador how they affected by great mountain -
condonsers by the prevailing winds over tue Inherent
seas and how the winds passing over great deserts
become thirsty and whom they strike the from
the desert OF sahara, how they absorb water like
sponge discharged upon tho rst copdenslng woods
or mountains III their But s III as books OF rain.
facts figures MIR Symons in this oil his has adde's
something value the information OF all cpncernso
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