It seems impossible to explain the marked rise in all the tables in April as a mere coincidence.

Very recently Huntington has published the accounts of a very valuable study made by him of the actual work throughout the year of some five hundred factory operatives in Connecticut, some three or four thousand in cities from Virginia to Florida and some 1,700 students at West Point and Annapolis (the students' records being limited to the school year). His results were compared in great detail with the weather conditions. He found that barometric changes showed little influence, that humidity was of considerable importance, but that temperature was more decisive. It was found that all these groups were physically most active when the average temperature was from 60° to 65°, that is, when the temperature at noon was 70° or over. Mental activity reached its maximum when the outside temperature averaged about 38°, that is, with frosts at night. He found that steady temperature was not favorable and that the best work was done when there was some daily change but sudden violent changes were not beneficial. Moderate changes with frequent cooling of the air gave the best results. There was a marked reduction of the work in very dry weather. Very cold weather was unfavorable and more work was accomplished on cloudy than on bright days.2

27

On the basis of his studies Huntington believes that the most important climatic factors are: (1) the mean temperature month by month; (2) the amount of change from day to day and (3) the relative humidity.28

He then proceeds to map the world to see in what places the best conditions are found, that is where the 27 HUNTINGTON, E. o. c., p. 8 ff.

28 Ibid., p. 137.

areas: (1) western and central Europe to the borders of greatest energy will be developed. He finds five such

20

40

700

120 240 160 180

DISTRIBUTION OF HUMAN ENERGY ON THE BASIS OF CLIMATE

Rumania and northern Italy; (2) North America east of the Rockies from southern Canada to the thirty-eighth parallel; (3) the Pacific Coast; (4) Japan and (5) New Zealand and the adjacent corner of Australia.29 It is most interesting to note that these are the seats of the most progressive civilizations of today.

No matter what modifications further study may necessitate it would seem that at last we are reaching the point where definite measurements may be made of man's reactions to the physical world, and we may hope for much greater knowledge in the near future.

The question of survival in the tropics has been mentioned. That change of residence from the temperate zones to the tropics may have pronounced effects is undoubted. "Practically every northerner who goes to the Torrid Zone says at first that he works as well as at home, and that he finds the climate delightful. He may even be stimulated to unusual exertion. Little by little, however, he slows down. He does not work so hard as before, nor does the spirit of ambition prick him so keenly. On the low, damp seacoast, and still more in the lowland forests, the process of deterioration is relatively rapid, although its duration may vary enormously in different individuals. In the dry interior the process is slower, and on the high plateaus it may take many years. Both in books and in conversation with inhabitants of tropical regions one finds practical unanimity as to this tropical inertia, and it applies to both body and mind." 30

5. Psychical Effects.— Man is often strangely reluctant to admit that earth exercises any control over his ideas. Yet a moment of reflection will show that there 29 HUNTINGTON, E. o. c., p. 250 ff.

30 Ibid., pp. 41-42.

are such influences. All our knowledge is mediated by the senses and finds its source in the world about us. Even our imaginations are bounded by details which we gain by personal contact or in some indirect way. We never dream of anything really new. All we can do is to put together in some new combination the elements with which everyday life has made us familiar. On the Isle of Man in days gone by the stealing of a pig or chicken was punished by death, while the stealing of a horse was only a minor offense. This grew out of the fact that the horse could not be taken off the island without detection nor could it be long concealed. The people accustomed to the awful heat of the desert pictured the place of punishment of the next world, Hell, in terms of heat; while the Eskimo, accustomed to great cold, thought a place of constant heat would be most desirable and to him it became Heaven. Our languages will show our main interests. The Samoyedes of northern Russia have a dozen terms to distinguish the shades of brown and gray of their reindeer, while the Malay vocabulary is rich in nautical terms. Our language reflects also the relative development of our The qualities of colors, the vibrations of tones are carefully worked out and we have a great series of descriptive adjectives. On the other hand, so defective is our sense of smell that accurate definitions of odors are practically impossible. "In all the forms of its creeds and cults, humanity does not seem to be able to get away from its earthly patterns. The Elysian fields, the Valhalla, the life that now is reflected upon the life beyond, are all shaped after models familiar upon the earth."

senses.

In the earlier stages of his career man was in utter ignorance of the nature of the earth. It is not too much