WEATHER AND WORK.

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 61, 30 March 1937, Page 4

WEATHER AND WORK.

" Recent researohes have diselosed some astonishing effeefcs that the weather has upon the effieieney and Output qf workers, both in factories and offiees. That ' tired ' feeling, for instance, usually ascribed to liver or an approaching cold, is, nine times out of 10, due to the effects that changee in the weather have upon our systems," writes Mr Richard Waddington in the Yorkshire Post. " The weather, a combination of temperature, humidity, wind, Sunshine and pressure, is responsible for variation of human energy. It is found, for instance, that the ideal temperature for physical activity is a mean of 64 degrfeeS Fahrenheit. Mental workers, however, require c6nsiderably coOler conditions. A night temperature Of about freezing, rxsing to an afternoon temperature of 50 degrees, gives the most Btimulating condition for brain wo-rk, a mean of 40 degrees. Contrary to all accepted heliefB, a dry climate is the worst, whether hot or Cold, in Which hurnan beings can live, It is noticeable that the worst eolds occur during a warm, dry spell. The reason is that during * such weather, there is not sufficient water vapour in the atmosphere for our needs, and the delicate membranes of our throats become dry And irritated, And are then most susceptible to infection. More seridus, however, is th# effect that thLs has upon our nervotis systems,"