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6
unable to account for the outbreak if it arose from the
hospital, as I could scarcely imagine it would travel against the
wind. I therefore applied to the Astronomer Royal at
Greenwich, and to Mr. Whipple at Kew, for returns during the
month of March showing the daily and hourly direction and
force of the wind. From these, which were most kindly furnished
to me, I find that on the 6th the wind veered slowly from the
south-west all round the compass by way north and east to
south and south-west, taking four hours for the process, and
blowing for three-quarters of an hour from the north-east at a
very low rate of velocity, viz., three miles an hour which is
nearly a calm. A similar occurrence happened on the 7th,
when only two hours were occupied in the veering, &o., twenty
minutes out of which time the wind blew from the north-east,
at a rate of two miles an hour. These results are in accordance
with the statements of Mr. Power as regards the spread of
small-pox from the Fulham hospital. On the 10th and 11th
the wind, which was then blowing from the south-west, backed
(i.e., went against the course of the sun) by way south and east
to north, occupying sixteen hours in the backing, and blowing
from the east or north-east for about seven hours. The velocity
of the wind was probably not quite so favourable during this time
for the spread of the disease, having had a mean velocity varying
from 6 to 9 miles per hour. Of course this does not mean that
the wind did not move slower or faster than these rates during that
time. The greatest number of oases were reported to me on the
21st, 22nd and 23rd, so that it is pretty certain that the chief
infection on the 6th and 7th, but most probably also a portion
occurred on the 10th and 11th. It may be asked why, with a
south-west or west wind the disease does not spread in the district
generally, to which I reply that except in Brooksby's Walk and
Glynn Road there are no houses on the north-cast and east
of the hospital. The inhabitants of Brooksby's Walk aud the
part of Glynn Road near the hospital have suffered severely.