A guide to the choice of a site for residential purposes : high-lying, dry sites remedial and preventive of disease, and promotive of health and the enjoyment of life, from the evidence of a wide range of eminent authorities in therapeutics, climatology, etc. : considerations founded on geological facts and the benefits derived from residence on high-lying sites on the chalk, which alone, of all sub-soils in the Home Counties, can always be relied upon for dryness, even in an elevated situation / by a member of the Geologists' Association.

  • Gilford, William.
Date:
1887
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A guide to the choice of a site for residential purposes : high-lying, dry sites remedial and preventive of disease, and promotive of health and the enjoyment of life, from the evidence of a wide range of eminent authorities in therapeutics, climatology, etc. : considerations founded on geological facts and the benefits derived from residence on high-lying sites on the chalk, which alone, of all sub-soils in the Home Counties, can always be relied upon for dryness, even in an elevated situation / by a member of the Geologists' Association. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    a site for a residence. Of all the physical qualities of the air humidity is the most injurious to human life, and therefore in selecting a situation for building, particular regard should be had to the circumstances which are calculated to obviate hu- midity in the soil and atmosphere. — Sir James Clark 07i Climate. Amongst the conditions most favourable for a genial climate depending on solar intensity are,—great elevation above sea- level ; a clear sun with white clouds ; a clean atmosphere,—no dust or smoke or fog; a minimum of watery vapour in the air. —Climate, Naturer 1882. The advantage of a residence on the hills is, while the air is brisk and pure, the sun is bright and warm, warmer than in the valleys. This arises from the fact that while the inferior layers of the atmosphere are rendered more or less opaque by hu- midity and dust, which absorb the sunbeams, the drier and purer regions of the upper air offer no impediment to the pas- sage of the brillant solar radiation. The air of the hills is less moist and heavy than the air of the plains and valleys, much of the trouble of filtering it is spared the lungs. As the climber ascends, he carries a diminished weight, the spirits rise with the lightened atmospheric load, the mind is gladdened by the un- clouded radiance of the landscape. It is a modern discovery that heights are not so unbearably cold as valleys ; though the breeze career over them at will, there are no draughts, weak chests are not assailed by a dozen different temperatures within half a dozen hours. Not a few hill-tops are to be found, even at home, where Englishmen may luxuriate in air pure and light and bright, and enough ozone runs daily to waste on the Sur- rey hills to brace all London for the working year.— Times,^ September 18, 1884. A slight agitation of the atmosphere occasions such a feel- ing of well-being that the chest dilates in consequence, and admits a larger proportion of air. The degree in which the air is agitated exerts the most decided influence on the extent to which the chest dilates; the agreeable sensation which is expe-