On the influence of the seasons of the year, employment, period of imprisonment, etc., on the gain or loss of weight, by the prisoners confined in the convict prison at Wakefield, between January 1, 1848, and December 31, 1857 / by W.R. Milner.

  • Milner, William Ralph.
Date:
1859
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On the influence of the seasons of the year, employment, period of imprisonment, etc., on the gain or loss of weight, by the prisoners confined in the convict prison at Wakefield, between January 1, 1848, and December 31, 1857 / by W.R. Milner. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    greater or less amount of sickness during any particular month, etc. The inspection of Table I, however, shows that a marked periodicity exists ; and that, taking an average of years, we have two distinct series of months, during the one of which there is a constant loss of weight, and during the other a con- stant gain ; so that, if we divide the year into quarters, there is a loss during the first and fourth quarters, and a gain during the second and third. The two series of gaining and losing months are unbroken, except in one instance. On reference to the table it will be seen that in November, which is in the losing series, a gain occurred. The amount gained is very small; and I believe the discrepancy was caused by the arrival of large numbers of prisoners in September and October. It will be shown under another head that the men usually gain weight for a short time after they are received, so that probably this break in the series results from the influence of the stage of imprisonment, rather more than balancing the influence of season. On look- ing down the columns which show the average gain or loss per prisoner weighed, it will be seen that, beginning at December, the amount lost per man increases rapidly, and very steadily, till March, but that between March and April there is a very abrupt transition from loss to gain. The gains then continue till August, the amount gained increasing on the whole, but by a series of jerks, each alternate month presenting a larger and a smaller gain respectively, so that to obtain a steadily in- creasing series we should have to couple the summer months in pairs. Between August and September a change of sign occurs, about equal in amount, but in the opposite direction to that which took place between March and April. The changes between #March-April, and August-September, are far greater in amount than the changes which take place between any other pairs of consecutive months ; and this re- mark applies with greater force to the percentages of men gaining or losing, and to the net gains and losses, than to the average gains or losses per man. The inferences which I think may be fairly drawn from these observations, are :— 1. The body becomes heavier during the summer months, and the gain varies in an increasing ratio. 2. The body becomes lighter during the winter months, and the loss varies in an increasing ratio. 3. The changes from gain to loss, and the reverse, are abrupt and take place about the end of March, and the begin- ning of September.