Rensselaer Union, Volume 8, Number 46, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 August 1876 — Heated Terms—Their Causes and Dangers. [ARTICLE]

Heated Terms—Their Causes and Dangers.

At the timo wc write, seventeen days of exceptionably hot weather have been experienced over tho Northern States. The thermoinctor, despite a brief rainstorm within the paßt twenty-four hours, the first that has visited this region duringthe period above named, stands at 95° in the shade. It has stood at 90° and thereabouts for more than two weeks, and in this city has touched 102°. The most intense heat yet reported, however, has occurred $t New Paltz, near Poughkeepsie, N. Y., where the mercury attained the unprecedented height of 112° in the shade. Of course wise people have advanced innumerable theories relative of the cause of the present heated term. It is a fact just now that the sun spots arc at their minimum, and hence the supposition that we get more heat from our luminary is generally favored. It should be borno in mind that the abnormally hot weather is not omnipresent the world over, and hence to believe that the sun is taking any extraordinary part in its production is to assume that that orb, by some process of selection, lias chosen a very small portion of the globe as the recipient of his scorching attentions. Besides, the fewer the sun spots, the greater the evaporative power of the sun, and hence the greater the production of rajn, which depends on evaporation. Consequently, so far from the absence of sun spots tending to diminish rain, we should look to their non-existence as a reason for expected increased rainfall. It is generally credited, also, that the Gulf Stream is moving nearer our coast, and hence the climate is gradually becoming warmer. This assertion is destitute of foundation in fact; but neither this notion, nor the one preceding, nor that involving spectroscopic observations of the sun and the discovery of imidense masses of burning magnesium, etc., will ever cease to be credited as long as the daily papers find in their repetition such interesting matter to embody in their discussions of that universally interesting topic, the weather. The truth is that hot spells like the present are due to local causes. Direction of tbe wind, barometric pressure of the atmosphere, hygroractric condition of the same, when acting in concert, are amply sufficient to account for increase of temperature over a few degrees; and by resulting the published Weatasr reports and keeping a record of barometer and thermometer for his locality, the observer will soon recognise the espeoiai conditions which underlie the extreme weather in this section of the country. * There are few parts of the world where so extreme a temperature as 112° is ever felt. According to tables given in standard meteorological works, it appears that 100° is exoeded besides in the United States and Canada, in Greece, parts of India, Afgamstan, Persia, Cape Colony, Desert of Sahara, parts of Egypt, Arabia, and the West Indies, and in Central AmericaIn one of these localities, however, is there so wide a thermometric range as from 15° below to 112° above zero, or 127° bah.,as is the case in this and other Northern States. It is this wide variation that causes suffering, for the reason that we never become really acclimated to onr climate, oritmred j to all its vicissitudes. In Common; with all the Anglo-Saxon race, we | possess the energy which is cliarao- j toristio of dwellers in the colder | portions of the globe, aud this energy, intensified by American habits and peculiarities, knows no rest. Business and Übor are carried on with unabated vigor, whether in the freezing eoid of January cr the fierce heat of July. We have no

season devoted to general relaxation, as have nations under the tropics, though our summers may be as hot as theirs, nor are we able to adapt our, habits to our climate, owing to the very uncertainty of the latter. Our woather is in reality a succession of surprises. We never know whoa to expect Buch visitations of heat as we are now undergoing, nor can we certainly count on any period when excessve cold will prevail. Our “probabilities” system gives us an approximate idea of whether to expect rain or shine within twenty-four hours ; but the boldest of weather prophets cannot predict whether the coming winter will be moist, and open, or severely cold. We are subject, therefore, to sudden changes of temperature; and the natural effect of these is found in the succeeding increase in the death rate in populated localities. For the week preceding the time of writing' the number of deaths in'New York city is reported at 838. Showing an increase cf 122 over the previous week. Out of the aboyp total, 541 represent

children under 5 years of ago; and a large percentage of the remainder includes, first, people who have become debilitated by the beat while suffering chronic disease and second, the direct victims of sunstroke and exhaustion. In both cases the long continued prevalence of hot weather has resulted in a weakening of vital power, and this depreciation extends more or less over the whole community; so that when a person, even in full bodily health otherwise is stricken down, his system is in a very poor condition to repel and recover from the shock. In a greater degre is this true of invalids and small children, whose hold upon life is at best but slight. Again, as we have said, sudden climatic changes are to be expected, and hence a hot spell of the present kind may terminate by a sudden fall of the mercury from 100° to 75°. We recently saw a descent of 11° produced in a less number minutes by the springing up of a brisk easterly breeze. Now sudden mutations of temperature, especially downward, exercise a dangerous effect upon a large number of persons, especially the aged and pickly, while even among robust people the unlooked-for change is apt to cause colds, pneumonia, and like maladies. It will he seen, therefore, that to maintain the health, whether in winter or in summer, in a “climate such as ours, constant watchfulness is imperative. Thousand's yearly die, victims to lack of precaution in guarding themselves against the ailments directly due to the vacillations of our most freaky Weather. — Scientific American.