Beriberi on Christmas Island with special reference to diet

Abstract

Christmas Island is situated in Long. 105°43' E and Lat. 10°25' S. The situation is climatically considered, strongly insular, being about 200 miles south of the Western part of Java. It is sheltered from the excessive rainfall of the East Indian Archipelago brought by the Easterly Trades which are greatly drained of their moisture by the time Java is passed. It is also outside the cyclonic region of the Indian Ocean, only one such storm being recorded since 1901, viz, that on 19th February 1904. The highest temperature recorded was 94.1° on 25th January 1903 and the lowest, 66.9° on 16th September 1902 - a range of 27.2°. The mean annual temperature is 80.8°. The mean is under 80.0° in the three months - July, August, September, but is above 80° during the other months of the year. The greatest variation of the temperature of Christmas Island is 20.0° or thereby and the least about 3.0°.