Hygiene and Disease in Palestine in Modern and in Biblical Times

The Climate and Water S!tpply in relation to Healthand Disease.IT is not always realized that PalestiI).ebelongs to the sub-tropical zone, and lies farther south than not only every part of Europe but also of most of ~iorocco and Algiers, of all Tunis, and of the whole ,of the United States of America with the exception of Florida and parts of Texas and Louisiana.The latitude of Jaffa (32 0 N.) is practically that of Amritsar in India and Shanghai in China.l\10reover, in the great central rift of the Jordan Valley the climatic conditions must be described as tropical.The land as a whole is fairly well supplied with rain, but the rainfall is very unequally distributed throughout the year, extending as it do'es over little more than six months.January, February, December and l are-in this order-the wettest months; there may be fairly heavy showers in October, November, April and, exceptionally, even in l.It is very unusual for any rain to fall in June, July, August and-except quite at the end of the monthin September.The amount of the rainfall is liable to considerable annual fluctuations and varies with the altitude.In J erp.salem, regular daily observations have been taken since 1860.The heaviest season's rainfall was 42•95 inches in 1877-78, and the lightest 12•5 inches in 1869-70.The mean annual fall is about 26•5 inches.There seem to be cycles of greater and lesser falls, dry spells and wet• coming in groups, but no definite rhythm has been observed.In ~he l\1aritime Plain, observations have been taken at Jaffa (P.E.F.) and at the German colonies of Sarona and Wilhelma, and in the