The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1881-03-16


In the northern and central portions
of the State, the thermometer occa
sionallY rises to 1902 and above
but persons do not suffer from this
temperature as they do in the north
ern and western states. This is gen
orally attributed to our refreshing
breezes, and the fact that the State
is more or less bounded by the ocean
but the effect OF the most important
factor has been overlooked. If the
air is moist, perspiration remains on
the surface, heat accumulates and ex.
haustion is the result. By far the
most important means by which heat
is conducted from the body-proba.
bly, from 80 to 80 per CENTS that
which proceeds from radiation, con-
duction and evaporation from the
surface. And it is to this part es-
pecially that we must look for the
means by which the temperature is
regulated; in other words, by which
the animal heat is prevented from
rising beyond the natural point. The
natural heat of the body is about
9840 and as 1t is being constantly
generated in the body, if the temper.
ature OF the air is near or above 990
and it the atmosphere is very moist
and radiation OF heat interfered
with IL accumulates in the body and
sunstroke, or disease is the result.
On hot day if man wishes to cool
watermelon, he wraps it up in a
wet Cloth and places it in draught.
Moisture evaporates, heat is con.
Quoted from the fruit and it is
cooled. The East India Monkey Ia
porous jug) is used to cool water
and acts on the same principle.
The. means by which the skin is
able TO acts as one oil the most inn
porlant organs TOR the regulation of
the temperature of the body, are !:
,as,,ss,ia 1st. That il atfaEds laEgs spgtsce
ration; I'd. That 1t contains large
amountof blood; 3rd. That the guam
tity of blood contained in 1t, is the
greater under the circumstances which
demand loss Of heat. IT the air is
comparatively dry, perspiration
evaporates az rapidly as it is formed,
heat is conducted from the surface,
the body is cooled, and the invalid,
and. laboring man does not suffer
from heat. 1t the atmosphere is
moist, heat is not radiated, and it ac-
cumulstes III the body and exhaus.
tion and sunslroke results. We. fre-
qnently hear the remark that sun.
stroke does not occur in Florida yet
how many can explain the reason
why? In the Northern States sun
strokes occur with the therm ometer
below 900, and yet it is unknown in
this State with the thermometer
above 900. To illustrate this, we
need but refer 10 the fact that Sir
G. Blagden and others supported an
atmosphere varying from 1882 TO
2l1' in dry air tor several minutes;
and in subsequent experiment he
remained for eight inmates lii tem-
perature OF 2600. Bat such temper
atures are not bearable when the air
is moist as we'll as hot, SO as TO pre-
vent evaporation from the body. M.
G. Jones states, that i'll the vapor
baths of Nero he was almost
sufocated in temperature of 1120
while in the caves of Testacclo in
which the air is dry, he was but little
incommoded by temperature of
1760. The writer has suffered much
less from dry heat in the dry climate
of Australia with the thermometer at
1150 in the shade, than he has done
in the northern States with TEN.
perature of 950.
ITO be Coeta1oued.)