Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-04-16
THE BAROMETER
AND OUR HEALTH
Interesting Article by Senior
Surgeon C. E. Banks of the
United States Public
Health Service

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. A week of dull
weather sets a whole community on
edge and the mental, moral and physical
components of man are, at its close.
about ht for the scrap heap. Under
such atmospheric conditions, when pro-
longed for q number Of days. an English
man admits that he feels "seedy" and
the American confesses that he is feel
ing mean" both adjectives relating to
state of mental and bodily dumps.
This situation is generally attributed
to the lack of sunshine, for every hu-
man being retains the ancient beliefs in
the potentiality of the Sun in its relation
ii hislife and its well being. He knows
that it gives light and warmth and
brings forth his crops from the fruit
full earth, and rightly yields it a re-
specr for its great and generally be.
nign influence over mundane exist
ence. 1t is true that We feel "bully'
in sunshiny weather, but sunshine is the
accompaniment of certain atmospheric
conditions not wholly shown by the
thermometer or the solarimeter. A few
sunless days or hours are not sufficient
however. to put hoodoo on the tenn
permanent and activities of a whole pop
ulation; there is another important con-
trolling agency but little understood.
even il appreciated, and it exercises a
much greater influence than the sun in
given space of time. If the sunlight
were absolutely necessary to our up
keep night-watchmen and laborers on
the morning editions would be chronic
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 exist.
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
as the waters of the globe to the order
OF fishes. The air and water are essen
tial to the life as much factor to man
as the quality of water to the fish. This
normal atmosphere air exerts on our
bodies definite dynamic force or ply
steal pressure of 147 pounds on every
square inch Of our bodies, if we live at
or near the sea level, and the higher I'D
we so this atmospheric pressure dimin-
Ishes until en- the heights of the Rockies
1t is probably two pounds less The
normal pressure at sea level is indicated
by the barometer as 30 Gnches), and 1t
decreases by an established scale as it
ascends these mountain heights. Most
persons know that ascents of noun
famous peaks. thousands Of feet above
sea level results in marked physical dis.
lress. difficult breathing, general de-
preston at the SUBMITS, and in extreme
cases bleeding at the nose and even
rom the lungs, due to this lessened at
nospheric pressure. just so it happens
hat when the barometer is 'low' for a
period, say drop from go |
he normal guage. to % or below, when |
stormy or duh weather ensues. We get
he analogous effect imperceptibly, but !
n an appreciate degree; for it has |
that a definite measure of at
nospheric pressure is released from