The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1915-04-10
THE BARoIETER AND HEALTH.
Effects of Weather When Clouds Hang
Low,

Low.
Every person capable Of putting two
and two together and obtaining the cor
rect answer has been conscious of feel.
ing out of sorts, as the printer would
say, when the clouds hung low and the
sun was obscured. week of dull
weather sets n whole community on edge
and the mental, moral and physical com
poncnts OF man are, at its close, about fit
for the scrap heap. Under such atmos-
phcric conditions, when prolonged for a
number of days, an Englshman admits
| that he feels "seedy" and the Americas
confesses that he is feeling "mean," bot6
ladjectives relating to a state Of mental
and bodily dumps.
The situation is generally attributed to
lack of sunshine, for every human being
retains the ancient beliefs in the po-
tcntiality OF the sun in its relation to
his life and its wcll being. He knows
that it gives warmth and light and
brings forth his crops from the fruitful
earth. and rightly yields tia respect for
its great and generally benign influence
we feel "bully" in sunshny weather, but
sunshine is the accompaniment of GER
tain atmospheric conditions not wholly
shown by the thermometer or the solari-
meter. A few sunless days or hours are
not sufficient, however, to put hoodoo
on the temperament and activities of
whole populations there is another i'm
portant controlling agency but little UNI
derstood, even if appreciated, and it ex-
ercises much greater influence than
the sun in a given space of time. If the
sunlight were absolutely necessary to-
our upkeep night watclimen and laborers
on the morning editions would be cbron-
ic invalids, and mine workers the most
unhealthy people in existence. If sun
light were necessary to animal life all
of the night providers would cease to ex
list.
The gaseous envelope of atmospheric
air surrounding the earth is the medium
in which we have to live, and it bears
the same. relation TO the human family |
of fishes. The air and water are essen
tial to the life as much a factor to man
as the quality of water TO the fish. This /
normal atmosphere air exerts on our
bodies a definite dynamic force or physi-
cal pressure of l4.7 pounds on every
square inch of our bodies, if we live at |
or near the sea level, and the higher up
we go this atmospheric pressure dimin-
ishes until on the heights of the Rockies
il is probably two pounds less. The nor
NAL pressure at sea level is indicated by
the barometer as 90 tincbes), and it de.
rreases by an established scale as it I
,scends these mountain heights. Most /
persons know that ascents of mountain
lus peaks. thousands OF feet above sea
evel. results in marked physical distress,
lflicult breathing, general depression at
he submits, and in eN. RENE cases bleed
ny at the nose and even from the lungs.
lue to this lessened atmospheric pres
sure. just SO it happens that when
he barometer iss. 'low' for a consider
,ble period, say'a drop from 80, the
normal gauge. 10 20 or below. when
tormy or dull weather ensues, we get
he analogous effect imperceptibly but in
IN appreciable degree; for it has hap
,ened that a definite measure of atmos-
,herie pressue is released from our bod.
es and naturally there follows a dis
ocation of our normal balance. The
Iyerage adult man sustains on every
pleasant day an atmospheric pressure of
bout IL tons at sea level, when the
,arometer reads at 30 and drop of an
neh or more, to 90 and below. practical
v takes off half a ton or more of his
Dad to which he is accustomed. Para
logically, instead OF feeling lighter and
reer. man feels its disturbing depressing
fleet on his Tissues. He has to become
djusted 10 this alienation from nor
nal tensity 10 one OF unusual relaxation,
nd while il is slow in its manifesto
ions. as barometric changes are general
= gradual, Yet the effect in miniature is
Ike going up to great height on
fountain range. OF course this feeling ,
neither serious nor fatal, but the re =
lxed condition in unpleasant weather
over number of days makes :
$ feel "out of sorts" While the spell =
on we are in the doldrums and the
tuation Is recognized as Of enough i'm. :
ortance by careful surgeons, who weigh b
rery factor. 10 defer important opera. 4
ons which can be postponed. when these
baromctric conditions pre-