‘Cyprus.’ [‎39r] (77/184)

THE CLIMATE OF CYPRUS.
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CHAPTER VI.
The Climate of Cyprus.
To obtain an accurate knowledge of the climate of our new
possession, is naturally a matter of the highest importance, in order
that the proper sanitary measures may be adopted to ensure the
• health of the British garrison and the inhabitants generally. The
first reports which were circulated when the occupation of the island
by England was announced, although conflicting, were, on the whole,
unfavourable; but later and more reliable information tends to
show' that whilst certain fevers are very prevalent during the hot
months, they are generally of a mild type, and that the acknow
ledged unhealthiness of certain towns and districts is not really
attributable to the climate, but rather to local insanitary conditions,
all of which are capable of removal, and indeed there is little
doubt that many of the sinister reports concerning the general un
healthiness of the island are much exaggerated. The health statistics
of the troops during the first fev r months of the occupation cannot
be accepted as a fair criterion of what may be expected in future
summers, for the present conditions of service are peculiarly
trying, in consequence of the amount of extra umrk and exposure
involved in the disembarkation, the first occupation of the island,
and the want of suitable accommodation; but even under these
exceptional circumstances the cases of illness are nearly all
recognized as ephemeral fever, due to exposure to solar heat, and,
as the name implies, of but short duration.
To arrive at a correct conclusion regarding the climate of
Cyprus, not only must the atmospheric conditions which affect
health be considered, but also the numerous and various causes of
unhealthiness which inevitably result from the existence of
marshes, scarcity of water, imperfect drainage, and the absence
of trees.
On the first subject, the climatological aspect of Cyprus, some
valuable information has been kindly supplied by Alexander
Buchan, Esq., Secretary of the Scottish Meteorological Society,
who vuites as follows:—
“Between the years 1863 and 1867, the Scottish Meteorological
Society established various Climatological Stations in different
parts of Europe, with the view of collecting trustworthy informa
tion concerning the climates of places which might be recognized
as Sanataria. Four such stations w r ere established, viz., at Jerusalem,