The climate of the island of Madeira : and the errors and misrepresentations of some recent authors on this subject, considered in a letter addressed to George Lund, M.D. / by James Mackenzie Bloxam.

  • Bloxam, James Mackenzie.
Date:
1854
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The climate of the island of Madeira : and the errors and misrepresentations of some recent authors on this subject, considered in a letter addressed to George Lund, M.D. / by James Mackenzie Bloxam. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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    (i But, supposing, for the sake of the argument, that we are now in possession of all the requisite meteorological data, Dr. Burgess's incontestable conclusion still depends upon his definition of what a perfect climate ought to be, and that rests upon his own bare conjecture, unsupported by any positive data whatever, notwithstanding his pre- fatory promises on this head. Now if Dr. Burgess were to set to work, and honestly endeavour to find positive data upon which to found this one essential link in the chain of his argument, what would he do ? He would naturally begin by inquiring what climates are found, practically speaking, to produce the best effects. In in- vestigating this question Madeira could not be overlooked, or put aside. He must inquire what effects, practically speaking, this climate actually has upon invalids. Now, if Dr. Burgess had begun toith this question, it-is obvious, that his very first step would have concluded the whole ar- gument ! And Dr. Burgess need have gone no further than Sir James Clarke's well-known work, in order to find the subject of the climate of Madeira entered upon, dis- cussed, and disposed of, in a very few pages, much more to the purpose than in his own work, either with or with- out my elucidations. Supposing Dr. Burgess to have begun at the right end of the argument, and to have arrived at its conclusion by mastering the first step, and supposing, simply for the sake of an example, that the conclusion is favorable to Madeira; then, if he thought it worth while to proceed beyond the real practical question, he might, as a second step, infer the following proposition,—either the air of Madeira is dry, or a dry air is not essential; and similarly of other disputed and disputable points. And if he had set him- self to work to investigate such questions, he would, in my opinion, have set out in the legitimate paths of medico- meteorological science ; though he must have laboured long before he could have distinguished himself so effec- tually as he has done by following the bent of his own genius.