IX. THE PROBABLE CHANGES OF THE WEATHER.
Rules for weather.—Telegraphic communications used in Europe.—Favourable conditions to combinations in
the tropics.—Meteorological offices.
The considerable number of stations all over India, together with its telegraph
lines, allows also to think of a practical question in addition to the scientific researches:
these, however, here, as in every branch of natural philosophy, must remain the principal
object even for the very purpose of occasional useful application. Now already many
of the general laws are sufficiently known and the materials are complete enough to
allow inductions as to the probable changes of the weather, and for India especially
about the beginning and end of the seasons.
There are rules of ancient date in Europe as well as in Asia, not unfrequently
coherent with remnants of earliest paganism, for connecting certain phenomena with
the weather, an object of so great and varied importance. Till recently all that
could be done — credulous deceptions and personal charlatanism excepted — was
limited to the vague date of "popular experience;" as series of such researches I can
quote Dr. Eisenloher's very interesting book1 on the rules for the weather, where, how-
ever, his analysis in general did not turn out in favour of these rules; most of them
he found arbitrary, many even decidedly wrong, others again of very unexpected
boldness were found correct.2
1 Eisenlohbb, " Untersuchungen iiber die Zuverlassigkeit und den Werth der gebrauchlichen WetterregeW
Karlsruhe, 1847. They are based upon 54 years of observation at Karlsruhe.
2 Amongst the best were those predicting the changes of weather from that in the direction of wind, and.
indirectly therefore also combinations made with the phases of the moon.
Rules for weather.—Telegraphic communications used in Europe.—Favourable conditions to combinations in
the tropics.—Meteorological offices.
The considerable number of stations all over India, together with its telegraph
lines, allows also to think of a practical question in addition to the scientific researches:
these, however, here, as in every branch of natural philosophy, must remain the principal
object even for the very purpose of occasional useful application. Now already many
of the general laws are sufficiently known and the materials are complete enough to
allow inductions as to the probable changes of the weather, and for India especially
about the beginning and end of the seasons.
There are rules of ancient date in Europe as well as in Asia, not unfrequently
coherent with remnants of earliest paganism, for connecting certain phenomena with
the weather, an object of so great and varied importance. Till recently all that
could be done — credulous deceptions and personal charlatanism excepted — was
limited to the vague date of "popular experience;" as series of such researches I can
quote Dr. Eisenloher's very interesting book1 on the rules for the weather, where, how-
ever, his analysis in general did not turn out in favour of these rules; most of them
he found arbitrary, many even decidedly wrong, others again of very unexpected
boldness were found correct.2
1 Eisenlohbb, " Untersuchungen iiber die Zuverlassigkeit und den Werth der gebrauchlichen WetterregeW
Karlsruhe, 1847. They are based upon 54 years of observation at Karlsruhe.
2 Amongst the best were those predicting the changes of weather from that in the direction of wind, and.
indirectly therefore also combinations made with the phases of the moon.