HUMIDITY IN THE BRITISH ISLES

1175 is shown by a comparison of Kew and Stornoway, ratios of males at ages 20-65 range in 1930-32 from which have much the same absolute humidity 90 for social class I to 111for class V, but those for females by class of husband from 81 to 113. Division throughout the year while the relative humidity shows that cancer as a is 67 at Kew and 81 at Stornoway, which has double of death cause mortality by the rainfall of Kew. whole has a much slighter social gradient for married women than for men, while diabetes falls rapidly from classes I-II to class V amongst males but A MUNICIPAL ASTHMA CLINIC tends to go in the opposite direction for females, ALTHOUGH clinics devoted exclusively to bronchial Accidental causes, a result of considerable interest. asthma are by no means new, yet for a local authority as might be expected, are more affected by social to start one is something of a novelty. A recent the men than the wives, venture amongst grading amongst along these lines is the municipal asthma but hernia shows a greater class differentiation. clinic at Cardiff, the scope of which was outlined by the women and angina pectoris, appendicitis, amongst Dr. D. A. Williams at a sessional meeting of the and gall-bladder diseases a steeper gradient in the Royal Sanitary Institute on May 6th. An offspring Thus it as men. Dr. Stocks points out, that seems, of the Llandough Hospital, this clinic was started social affluence is more dangerous to men than to their in 1935 at the City Lodge Hospital, Cardiff, with the wives because it tends to bring in its train enhanced object of extending the work that had already been mortality from diabetes, apoplexy, nephritis, and begun in the prepared side wards of the gall-stones, and to increase their mortality from hospital. Suchspecially a clinic was considered desirable for angina pectoris, appendicitis, cirrhosis of the liver, and several reasons. (1) The seasonal incidence of the suicide to a greater degree than is the case amongst disease and the diversity of substances to which a their wives. Specific occupations give equally sufferer might possibly be sensitive require individual interesting results. For instance farming confers, observation for long periods. (2) Treatment, includthrough its localisation in the country, some measure ing desensitisation, vaccines, and breathing exercises, of survival advantage upon farmers’ wives ; but the must frequently be lengthy if success is to be achieved. farmers themselves enjoy an even greater relative (3) It is more likely to attract the early cases at a advantage, suggesting that the work they do is in stage before permanent damage to the lung and itself beneficial. On the -other hand inn- and hotelchest wall has resulted, the outlook being much keepers involve their wives, through selection, better if treatment is started before the age of environment, opportunity, example, or participation 10 years. Cardiff residents are asked to pay Is. per in the husband’s occupation, in an excess mortality visit if they can afford it ; if, however, their circuma third of the excess suffered amounting to about stances are too straitened they pay less, while some by such men themselves. Such methods of analysis who are unemployed are seen free of charge. The subare, it is clear, likely to increase, perhaps clinic is at the service of those living outside the town stantially, our knowledge of occupational advantages for a fee of 5s. That the clinic has found favour in or disadvantages, and Dr. Stocks gives more than the eyes of the school medical officers, the general enough to whet the appetite. practitioners, and the public is evident from a study of the attendance figures. During the three-year HUMIDITY IN THE BRITISH ISLES period 1935-37 the number of new patients who attend annually has been trebled while the total HUMIDITY is no doubt an important factor in number of visits paid to the clinic has shown a seventhe effect of climate on health, and probably plays fold increase. In 1937 352 new cases were received a large part in making a particular climate what is and 6085 attendances made during the year. known as bracing or relaxing. A discussion three at the left Royal Meteorological Society years ago ALTERING THE SEX RATIO an impression however that it was not very clear to anybody what these terms really meant. Exact THAT we are still very much in the experimental data have hitherto not been readily accessible, but stage in our efforts to control the sex ratio of offspring the publication by the Meteorological Office of a is evident from a reviewby Mr. Arthur Walton, handy brochure giving averages of humidity for the Ph.D., of the Cambridge school of agriculture. He British Isles (M.O. 421, H.M. Stationery Office, 9d.) reminds us that the mammalian male produces will now enable those who are interested to ascertain sperms of two sorts-x and y, female- and malethe average humidity of the air in any month over determining respectivelv-whereas the female pro44 stations in England, Scotland, and Ireland. The duces only one sort of Three possible methods of averages are based on at least 15 years’ observations sex the gametes are controlling by influencing made at 7 A.M., 1 P.M., and 6 P.M., and for the middiscussed. The first, parthenogenesis, is dismissed as day reading both relative humidity (percentage of impracticable at present for mammals. The second, saturation) and vapour pressure (a measure of the sex reversal (e.g., by injecting sex hormone into the actual amount of water in the air) are given. Charts yolk-sac after the embryo has started developing in have been constructed showing graphically the one direction or another), has recently been attempted distribution of humidity, from which it would appear with some success in certain mammals, but is still that the amount of water vapour in the air over these obviously impossible for man. The third is the isles steadily increases from January to July or or differential destruction of the x and y separation August and then decreases until the end of the year. sperms, and this is at present certainly the most On the other hand the relative humidity decreases feasible ; but as Dr. Walton says, much of the work with the temperature during the same period to done on it has to be discounted because the investirising a minimum in July. A small area north of the have not given due consideration to the Thames seems to be the least humid part of the gators He mentions statistical significance of their data. country, and it is curious that Kew, which is on attempts at effecting gametic separation by catathe Thames, should be the only station showing an phoresis, by altering the reaction of the vagina, by average relative humidity of less than 60 per cent. subjecting sperms to an electric field of high-frequency for three months in the year. That rainfall depends little on absolute and much on relative humidity 1 Sci. Progr. Twent. Cent. April, 1938, p. 694.

egg.