I now propose discussing very briefly the known relations between meteorological phenomena and disease.  I say the known relations, because it is evident that there are many unknown relations of which at present we have had the merest glimpse.  For instance, small-pox, while of an ordinary type, and producing only a comparatively small proportion of deaths to those attacked, will sometimes suddenly assume an epidemic form, and spread with great rapidity at a time of year and under the meteorological conditions when it usually declines in frequency.  There are, however, in this country known relations between the temperature and, I may say, almost all diseases.  As far back as 1847 I began a series of elaborate investigations on the mortality from scarlet fever at different periods of the year, and the relations between this disease and the heat, moisture, and electricity of the air.  I then showed that a mean monthly temperature below 44.6 deg.  F. was adverse to the spread of this disease, that the greatest relative decrease took place when the mean temperature was below 40 deg., and that the greatest number of deaths occurred in the months having a mean temperature of between 45 deg. and 57 deg.  F. Diseases of the lungs, excluding consumption, are fatal in proportion to the lowness of the temperature and the presence of excess of moisture and fog.  Thus, in January, 1882, the mean weekly temperature fell from 43.9 deg.  F. in the second week to 36.2 deg. in the third, with fog and mist.  The number of deaths registered in London during the third week, which may be taken as corresponding with the meteorological conditions of the second week, was 1,700, and in the next week 1,971.  Unusual cold, with frequent fogs and little sunshine, continued for four weeks, the weekly number of deaths rising from 1,700 to 1,971, 2,023, 2,632, and 2,188.  The deaths from acute diseases of the lungs in these weeks were respectively 279, 481, 566, 881, and 689, showing that a large proportion of the excessive mortality was caused by these diseases.  At the end of November and in December of the same year there was a rapid fall of temperature, when the number of deaths from acute diseases of the lungs rose from 297 to 358, 350, 387, 541, 553, and 389 in the respective weeks.  From November 29 to December 9 the sun was seen only on two days for 41/2 hours, and from December 9 to the 18th also on two other days for less than 4 hours, making the total amount of sunshine 8.1 hours only in 20 days.  In January and February the excess of weekly mortality from all diseases reached the large number of 504 deaths; in December it was less, the fogs not having been so dense, but the excess equaled 246 deaths per week.