Meteorological relations of eclampsia in Lagos, Nigeria.

A retrospective study of the meteorological relations of eclampsia in Lagos, Nigeria supports other observations that the incidence of this disease varies significantly with the weather. Protective action by arid conditions is consistent with the known effect of dehydration on convulsions of differing aetiologies and is attributable to increased pulmonary transpirational water loss. Exacerbation of eclampsia by cool, humid conditions may therefore reflect excessive water retention, due partly to suppressed pulmonary transpiration and partly to kidney malfunction in those women.