In old days, the _haruspices_ (for this is what the Romans called
weather men in the days of Caesar) proclaimed the will of the gods by
consulting the entrails of some freshly killed animal. Evidently these
haruspices did not always make correct forecasts; for there were some
Romans who openly questioned their worth. Cato, the Censor, is on record
as saying "that he wondered how one haruspex could look another in the
face without laughing!"
[Illustration: FIG. 3. KAIKIAS--THE NORTHEAST WIND]
The modern professional forecaster would scorn to consult the entrails.
There are however many amateur forecasters who foretell weather by their
aches and rheumatic pains. Probably there is a high correlation factor
between body sensations and dampness; and some individuals are quite
sensitive to changes in both relative and absolute humidity. This,
however, does not always mean that a storm is approaching. Humidity or
dampness is only one factor and may be quite local, whereas most storms
are wide-spread.