Volume 1

The climate of London, deduced from meteorological observations, made in the Metropolis, and at various places around it / by Luke Howard.

  • Howard, Luke, 1772-1864.
Date:
1833
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The climate of London, deduced from meteorological observations, made in the Metropolis, and at various places around it / by Luke Howard. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    of that magnitude, that the most distant prospect of the smallest permanent addition to our store of knowledge and experience con¬ cerning them, will be slighted by none but those who have not duly considered the influence of science on the arts, and of these on the well-being of society. An extensive co-operation of observers in different countries has been justly deemed essential to the perfection of Meteoro¬ logical research.* But if we except the single instance of the Society at Manheim, patronized by the Elector Palatine, the voluminous Transactions of which, compiled from an extensive correspondence, include the years from 1781 to 17^5, there seems to have been nothing done on a great scale to attain this object. In the mean time observations continue to be made and pub¬ lished throughout Europe ; and it is probable that many Indi¬ viduals have acquired, at least, a knowledge of the peculiar fea¬ tures of their own Climate, and of the facts which, properly arranged, would form its History. The production of such a work for each of those districts, in which the requisite observations have been made, would greatly abridge the labour, if it did not re¬ move the principal difficulty, of a general view of the phenomena of our Atmosphere, in their various localities and relations through the Year: which being obtained, we might proceed to constitute, on sound principles, the theory of the science.*f* The Volume, which on such considerations is now offered to the public, is composed chiefly of the observations of ten years, * Kirwan on the Variations of the Atmosphere, Dublin, 1801. ■f In the spring of last year, 118171 I attempted to giveacoup d'ocil of the facts and principles of this interesting department of knowledge, in the way of Lectures to a circle of friends. The best sketch which I was able to get ready for the occasion, aided by the globe, some graphic representations, and a few experiments with instruments, proved so far satisfactory, that I have been induced to give expect¬ ations of enlarging and publishing it. But I cannot promise, as mv friend William Phillips (whose “ Lectures on Astronomy” instructed and gratified the same audience) has ventured to do for me, that this shall be done “ at no distant period.”