Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-29
BY THOMAS R. HENRY.

and it has been preceded by about 1C
days of marked changes in temperature
averaging 4 degrees and eliminating In
drop of from 10 to IL degrees.
This is the day during which white
man adjusted to temperate climate Is
least likely to die. 1t is the complex OF
meteorological conditions to which the
organism is best adjusted.
Relationship to Mortality.
Moreover, there is a stronge relation.
ship between death and changes in
temperature, apparently regardless OF
all other factors. A marked rise in
temperature almost invariably increases
the death rate and drop decreases it
These tentative conclusions are made
in report just presented to the Ma
tional Research Council after 9-yeaI
statistical study by committee headed
by Prof. Ellsworth Huntington of Yale
University. This committee and its
collaborators analysed statisticaly the
mortality rate for New York City from
1882 to 1888 in relation to the changes
in temperature, humidity and variation
from day to day. THESE years were
chosen because daily reports were avail
able, there we're no great epidemics
which would skew the curves, and the
artificial effects OF modern sanitation
welfare work and medical discoveries
especially In relation to children, hac
not advanced to the point where they
would interfere greatly with the effects
of uncontrolled nature.
Results Are Almost Uncanny.
The results show an almost uncanny
relationship between death and weather
leaving out of consider ration specific
causes of death. Prolonged rises of the
temperature above the optimum to
which the body is best adjusted show q
corresponding rise in the death curves
from all causes which would indicate
specifically that an epidemic had hit
the city.
The figures for the "ideal day" are
means for all ages. Actually, the sta
tiStics show, the optirnum measure
ments vary markedly between childhood
and old age. The temperature optimun
seems to follow curve with age-higf
for early childhood and senility with
normal gradients between extremes fol
the middle years. This leads Prof
Huntington, who presented the report
to speculate on a possible future shift
ing of the great centers Of American
activity to milder climates better suitec
for 1.-The most able peopls"-that is, thu
leaders Of matured intelligence.
Decided Changes Necessary.
Best for everybody concerned, o.
course, would be the climate with the
greatest number of ideal days" They
cannot occur continually anywhere be-
cause OF the requirement OF variation
preceding them.
Yet" the report says, at Is possible
for days which approximate the opti.
mum to occur frequently. They do no
occur in tropical climates nor in any
climate which lacks a strong contrast II
seasons. The best climate of all is ont
where frequent storms bring decided
changes from day to day. but where thu
latitude, the prevailing winds, and the
steadying effect Of great bodies OF watel
are such that extremes Of either heat
or cold are prevented. Southeastern
England, outside the smoky area Of Lon
don, comes as near these conditions al
almost any place"
Other factors not taken into con.
sideration, Prof. Huntington reports
are atmospheric dust and electricity
sunshine, fog. snow, rain and wind
There are no statistics to show the re-
lation between temperature, humidit.
and variability and mental activity dis
tinguished from physical health.
Ideal Temperature Varies.
The ideal temperature of SIS varie
with the humidity, increasing to 10 witt
mean relative humidity OF so pc
cent and presumably going still highe
as the humidity goes lower. AmonI
children under S, especially infants II
their first year, the ideal temperature i
| SIS degrees, as shown by the death sta
| f{zf{nc EQi1f for the ircf fau dauQ aftn
birth the optimum is very much higher
In considering such frequent cause
OF death as influenza and pneumoni
| the committee distinguished between
| liability TO contract such diseases an
| liability to die from them. The chanc
| that the disease viii be contracts
varies almost perfectly with the tenn
| perature. 1t is at q maximum whel
| this is lowest and at a minimum wheI
! highest, as in Midsummer. But dylni
! is another matter, and in these case
| it seems TO follow the curve for a.
| other causes of death. 1t Is at mini
mum on the Ideal day"
High Temperature More Harmful.
Generally" says the report, "lo'
/ temperature is harmful, but. excep
among deaths from influenza and pneu
| monia, not as harmful as high tenn
perature." This must always be tn
case, for a mean temperature OF 8
with a relative humidity approachin
| 100 means death for almost every on
| within a few hours, whereas, fir.
clothing and exercise make 1t possibl
to endure the lowest known tempera
lures without great difhculty. Blu
there Is abundant evidence that tn
harmful effects of low temperature
have not been conquered to the sam
degree as those of high temperature
during the last half century.
The statistics show that the minimum
of deaths accompanies, other condition
being equal, an atmospheric humidit
of approximately 80 per cent, such Q
would result in dew at night and
humidity of between 60 and 10 at nool
Humidity, however, appears to have III
tie relation TO the death rate of chi
dren, fact that remains unexplained
Some sort Of rel. tionship betwee
temperature and humidity and deaf
rkefihood lnng has beenN matter