THE CLIMATE OF GREAT BRITAIN; OR REMARKS ON THE CHANGE IT HAS UNDER- ACCOUNTING FOR THE INCREASING HUMIDITY AND CONSEQUENT With the Effects such ungenial Seasons have produced upon INCLUDING VARIOUS EXPERIMENTS TO ASCERTAIN THE CAUSES INTERSPERSED With numerous Physiological Facts and Observations, illus- BY JOHN WILLIAMS, Esa, London: PRINTED FOR C. AND R. BALDWIN, NEW BRIDGE STREET. ΤΟ SIR JOHN SINCLAIR, BArt, PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. SIR, THE high and distinguished Rank you have long held among Men of Science, and more especially among those who have dedicated their Science to the Benefit of their Country, is universally acknowledged. Your being reinstated to the Presidency of a Board instituted for the purposes of ameliorating the Soil, increasing its Productions, and extending the Comforts of Society, must, to every Patriot, be a subject of high Gratification. The little Work here placed under your Protection, and which will assure to it a candid perusal, is submitted, with the utmost deference, to the Public; and should it, in the least degree, further an Enquiry into the important Pursuits in which you and the Board are engaged, I am confident that it will meet with your Approbation, and I hope will assist, in some degree, to shew how far your Patriotism extends, and with what admiration and respect I am, Sir, Your obedient and obliged Servant, PREFACE. THE Subject of the following Sheets, it will be allowed by all, is novel, and the path which leads to it as. yet untrod; little progress having hitherto been made in Meteorology, the difficulties to encounter, in such an undertaking, must be consequently great: its high importance must, however, be admitted, as it not only respects the productions of the soil upon which our very existence depends, but refers also to every species of National Improvement-to the Health of Mankind—and the Comfort of Society. The Remarks here candidly submitted to the judgment of the Public, are the result of many Years spent in making experiments for the purpose; and which have been conducted with great labour, and at considerable expence. As these have often been repeated, and the conclusions not hastily drawn, the Public may rely on their general accuracy. The Author's preconceived views on the principal subjects here treated of, have been most satisfactorily answered by them, and his opinions confirmed. They also correspond with Experiments of a similar nature, which have been recently made by the ablest Physiologists, both on the Continent as well as in this country. Perhaps it may be objected by some, that the Theory is chimerical, and the suggestions impious; to such it may be observed, that to attempt to improve the surrounding medium in which we breathe, is equally as |