| Description | Commencing 'Heseram sane diu cuinam Diarium Meterologicum Neopolitanum elapsi iam Anni 1728. nunc temporis mitterem, utrum illud Amplissime Societati, an poties, ut semper feceram Cl. Jac. Jurino, a quo anno 1724'. [I have long since completed the Neopolitan Meteorological Diary for the year 1728. Now is the time to send it, whether to the wider Society, or if possible, as I always did from 1724, to James Jurin].
The tables of meteorological observations record the dates of readings [by Gregorian and Julian calendars], barometrical pressure, temperature, wind direction and speed, general weather observations, and rainfall; with a final column noting the activity of the volcano Vesuvius. The observations commence on 1 January 1728 and end on 31 January 1728 [12 January 1728 and end on 11 January 1729]. Headed: 'Diarium Meteorologicum Neapolitanum Anni MDCCXXVIII Biss'. The manuscript concludes with tables of monthly totals and averages from the barometer and rainfall readings.
The information was summarised in ‘‘An abstract of the Meteorological diaries, communicated to the Royal Society, with remarks upon them…part V’, by William Derham, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, v.38 (1734), pp.458-470. The observations were in response to the paper: 'Invitatio ad observationes meteorologicas communi consilio instituendas', by James Jurin, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, v.32 (1723), pp.422-427.
Endorsed [p.12]: 'July 3d, 1729'. Recorded in the Royal Society's Journal Book for the meeting of 3 July 1729: 'A Letter from Dr. Cyrillus to Dr. Sherard dated at Naples January 1st 1729 serving to accompany two Tracts to be communicated to the Society was read, vizt. a Dissertation on the use of cold water in Fevers, and a Diary of observations on the weather made at Naples from 1st January to the last of December 1728, which last was laid before the Society to be perused...' JBO/14, pp.354. |