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15
the atmospheric temperature, or than that recorded by the one-foot
earth thermometer ; so that the epidemic mortality may continue
(although declining), long after the last-mentioned temperatures have
fallen greatly, and may extend some way into the fourth quarter of
the year."
The records of the four-feet earth thermometer in Willesden and
their association in 1907 with phenomenally low diarrhoeal mortality
form a striking instance, almost within experimental limits, of the
truth of these provisional conclusions of Dr. Ballard. It is to be
noted that the reduction in infantile mortality during the 3rd quarter
of 1907, was general throughout the 76 great towns, and was doubtless
due to the same causes.
In the case of no other disease has the relationship to meterological
conditions been so definitely established, and this relationship
sufficiently explains the anomalous seasonal distribution of deaths in
the quarterly returns.