Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1889-09-07
HUMIDITY AND suNsTRoKE.
some Curious Facts Regarding the Reia'
iInn RetMecn the Two.

tion Between the Two.
Persons who think that the excess
I've humidity of recent summers is
new departure will discover their mis-
take on looking at the New York Med
teal journal for the year 1888. In that
year Mr.. Lorin Blodget, in charge OF
tho meteorological department OF the
Smithsonian Institute, in a report to
the secretary. says: THE summer OF
1853 has been extraordinary in its
climatic conditions. and the extremes
Of temperature and humidity were
much more strikingly and clearly de-
fined than usual" The report then
proceeds to give an account OF the
weather for the summer, in which
phenomena are described prcciscly
likely those with which we have been
familiar for the past two or three
years. Among them is the increased
number OF cases OF sunstrUkc.
It's by no meanstcicar that there IS
la ngeeseapy enaneaion hetwesn hui
mia atmosphere ard sunstroke. Dr.'
/ Hunt, Of Buffalo, in reviewing the
cases OF sunstroke which occurred in
the humid summer of 1853, said; The
conclusion is irresistible that not dry
heat, but long-continued bath OF
aqueous vapor was the true cause OF
this unparalleled mortality Another
authority informs us that in India the
chief cause Of sunstroke is prolonged
atmospheric heat, with a dry and
rarctied state of the air." 1t has been
proved, however, that highly rarciied
air is not conducive to sunstroke.
There is no proof therefore that either
humidity or dryness or rareiication is
the cause Of sunstrokc. 1t would
seem, however, that there are facts to
show that when the air is charged with
moisture the liability to sunstroke Is
increased.
The relation between humidity and
sunstrokc is due to the fact thai
people who perspirc freely are not
likely to beovercomc with the malady
and humidity is undoub edly un
friendly to pcrspiration, The eXten
TO which the custom OF wearing
flannel has spread during the prcsen
summer shows that people are awak'
, to the importance of dressing to sui
the conditions OF our climate. Flame
no doubt absorbs and encourages per
spiration, but perhaps not enough ha
been said Of the advantage OF light
rolorcd materials both for shirts am
outer wear A surgeon OF the Britls
army has given his experience on thi
point. Being encampcd on the shore
, of the Bosphorus the surgeon, wit
some officers, thought il would be we
TO initiate the example OF Lcander an
try plunge in those famous water;
G In walking to the shore they took o
4 their coats. carrying them on the
arms. The surgeon says;
D II wore chcrry-colorcd l'ann'
7 shirt. and although all our shoulder
t were more or less burned by eXposu
=, while in the water, | wa5 litcralI
! scorchcd. and Tor some dnHs suiif"a
:. greatly from the slightest movemc'
o or friction of my coat. We all sufcr'
d in exact proportion to the dcpth
d shade OF our nanncl.'
y The same principle, if indeed it be
principle would apply to hats,
should be observed however, th
60 there is minority opinion on tn
Il point. A gallant officer of the unll'
@ States army was strongly OF the BELT
II as the result Of his military cNpcl
is cnce, that black hats were cooler TN
5 white ones. When police comm
$ sioner few years ago, this ollie
e caused the adoption of black hats !
IS summer wear by the police. l
5. question Of the comparative coolne
II of garments OF different cOlors may,
u doubt, be left to the experience OF t
" individual wcarer.-N. Y. Times.