3 oo SCRAMBLES AMONGST THE ALPS.

If goitre is really an ally of cretinism, the sooner it iseradicated the better.*

De Saussure put forward heat and stagnation of air ascauses of cretinism in the place of badness of water. Butthis was only giving up one unsatisfactory explanation foranother equally untenable; and since there are places farhotter and with pernicious atmospheres where the diseaseis unknown, while, on the other hand, there are situationsin which it is common where the heat is not excessive, andwhich enjoy a freely circulating atmosphere, his assumptionmay be set aside as insufficient to account for the cretinismof the Valley of Aosta.t And in regard to its particularcase, it may be questioned whether there is anything morethan an imaginary stagnation of air. For my own part, Iattribute the oppression which strangers say they feel, inthe middle of the valley, not to stagnation of air but toabsence of shadow, in consequence of the valley ’s coursebeing east to west; and believe that if the force of thewind were observed and estimated according to the methodsin common use, it would be found that there is no defi-ciency of motion in the air throughout the entire year.Several towns and villages, moreover, where cretins aremost numerous, are placed at the entrances of valleys; andupon elevated slopes, with abundant natural facilities fordrainage—free from malaria, which has been suggested asaccounting for the cretinism of the Rhone valley .

Others have imagined that intemperance, £ poor laving,

* “Goitrous persons, exempt from military service, remain iin theiinative districts, marry, and thus cause the disease to become hereiditary.If, on the contrary, they were drawn, and were sent into unttainteddepartments (particularly those upon the sea-coast), they would returnperfectly cured at the expiration of their term of service. Furtther, ifgoitrous persons were not exempt, a greater number of hiealthyindividuals would remain at home, would marry, and would becomeparents of sound and vigorous children.”—Guy and Dagand.

t I am told (in 1893) that cretinism has diminished in the Vadley ofAosta of late years, and that the opinion is still entertained thiat badventilation and want of air have much to do with the disease.

t An instance was mentioned to me, in 1869, of a small proprietorin the Valley of Aosta , who had a wife and several healthy chiildren,having, successively, two good rears with his vines. He ate and! drank