OCR Text |
Show 370 ACCLIMATION; OR, TIJE INFLUENCE OF thanks to their intcllig nee, have furnished us wit~ reliable st~tistics. There arc many races in Europe that, accord111g to our viCw, cannot sLrictly be includ d with the above class, viz., the darkRkinned Ib rian , the paniards, Portuguese, Italians, and others. Let us next inquire what renl progress has been made towards the acclimation of white races in tropical climates. Although we have writings in abundance on the subject, they arc mostly vague and unsatisfactory; and oven a pt'ccisc definition of the term is wanting. All we can hope, within our limits, is to lay out some land-marks, which may stimulate others to greater detail. Dr. Rochoux has attempted a somewhat precise definition of the term acclimation; and perhaps a better one cannot be given in the present state of lmowlcdgo. ITo says: "Acclimation is a profound chango in the organism, produced by a prolonged sojoum in a place whose climate is widely difiercnt from that to which one js ac ustomod; and which has the effect of rendering the individual who has boon subjected to it similar, iu many respects, to the natives (indigenes) of tho ountry which he has adopted." This definition strikes at once a lcadinO' difficulty in this discusHion, and one which should, as far as possible, be cleared away, before w can fully estimate the influence of climate on mankind. Who are these "indigenes" of whom Rochoux speaks? Arc they, in all cases, really d sc ndants of tho same orio-inal stock as those who como to sock acclimation? Her , I repeat, are questions that J1avo not b2on fully nor fairly examined, oven by Prichard, the groat champion of tho unity of tho human race; and which embarrass our progress at every stor . Dr. richard remarks: "It is well known that the proportional Humber of individuals who atLain a given ago, differs in different climates; and that tho warmer the climate, other circumstances being equal, so much tho shorter is tho average duration of human lifo. Even within tho limits of Enrope, the difference is very groat. Jn some instances, according to the calculations of M. Moreau de Jonnos, the rate of mortality, and inversely tho duration of life, di11er by neady one-half fl'Om the proportions discovered in other examples. The following is a brief extract from a table presented hy this celebrated calculator of the Institute: CLIMATE AND DISEASES ON MAN. 371 "TABLE EXlli~ITING TilE .ANNUAL MORTALITY IN DIFl!'ERENT COUNTRIES IN EUROPE. In Sweden .................... . Dcumt~rk ...................... . Germany ..................... .. Prussia ....................... . Aush·ian Empire ............ . Holland ........................ . Great lkitnin ............... .. France ........................ . Canton de Vaud ............. . Lombardy .................... . Romnn States ................ . Scotland ....................... . from 1821 to 1826 .......... .. 1819 ..................... .. 1826 ........ ' ............ . 1821 to 1824 .......... .. 1825 to 1880 ........... . 1824 ..................... .. 1800 to 1804 .......... .. 1826 to 1827 ........... . 1824 .. .................... . 1827 to 1828 ........... . 1820 ...................... . 1821 ...................... . 1 death in 45 45 45 89 48 40 47 89.5 47 81 28 60 "The diiferenoe of twenty-eight and fifty is oonsidernblo; but oven the latter rate of mortality is considerably greater than that which t11e data collected by .M. Moreau de Jonncs attribute to Iceland, Norway, and the northern p1~rts of Scotlnnd. "In npprcaching the equator, we find the mortality incrcnsc, and tbe avernge duration of life consequently diminish. 'l'he following co,lculation, obtained by the same writer, sufficiently illustrates this 1·emark: LATITUDE. PLAO'fiS. ONE DEATII IN 6° 101 ........................... Batn.via ........................... 26 inhabitants. 10° 101 ........................... Trinidad ......................... 27 18° 541 ........................... Sainte Lucie .................... 27 14° 441 ............... ............ Martiniqne ..................... 28 15° 591 ........................... GuadBioupe ..................... 27 18° 8(11...... ......... ... ........ Bombay .......................... 20 22° 831 ... ...... ... .... ..... ...... Calcuttn.. ... ...... ... .... .. ... ... 20 23° 111 ......... .................. llavnna ........................... 88 "It lu~s been observed thu.t, in some of these instances, the rnte of mortality appears greater than tho,t which properly bolongs to tho climo,to; 11s some of the countries mcntionod include cities and districts known to be, by loon! situation, extremely unhealthy.I5 Iu some, the mortality bolonga, in great part, to stmngcrs, principally Europ~llns, who, coming from 11 di[ercnt climate, suffer in great numbers. The sepamte division from which the collective numbers above given arc doducod, will sufficiently indicate these oircumstancos. In Batavia, 1806 ...................... Europeans died ............................... 1 in 11 Slaves .......................................... 1 " 18 Chinese .. .. .. .. .. ...... ..... .... ...... ... .. .... 1 " 20 Jo,vanese, viz., Nativos ..................... 1 " 40 Calcutta, 1817 to 1886 .............. Europeans and Eurasians .................. 1 " 28 Portuguese and French............ ...... ... 1 " 8 1822 to 1836 .............. Western Mahommcdans} " Bengal " " Moguls..... .... ... ......... .. ...... ·.. ...... 1 " 86 " Arabs .................... .. 15 .A striking proof of the difference between a malarial and non-malnriBI climate, in close proximity.-J. C. N. |