View report page

( 4 )
it was below zero. This very exceptional cold continued
for about a month, from January 21st to
February 19th, but it also continued very cold till
the beginning of the second week in March. The
spring quarter was mild and dry. The rainfall for
the six months ending June was only half the average
amount. The summer quarter was also warmer
than the average, the last week in September was
very hot; the following month was cold, the frost at
the end of the month being severe; November and
December were mild. The rainfall for the nine
months ending September was more than 6 in. below
the average, and the level of the ground water would
consequently be very low. The total rainfall for the
last quarter was 8*09 in., being 0'97 in., or practically
1 in. above the average. Although the rainfall
for the whole year was 5 in. below the average, the
fall that took place in the last quarter would materially
affect the level of the ground water, and it is
interesting to note the alteration in the public health.
From the information I have been able to obtain, it
appears that diphtheria increased considerably by
the end of October, the number of towns affected
having increased by 20 per cent. By the beginning
of November there was also a considerable increase
in the number of cases of typhoid fever throughout
the country. From the very severe cold of the first
quarter, it would be likely that diseases of the
respiratory system would be the most prevalent;
there were 126 deaths from chest affections,