#its finally cooling down cuz of the rain im in heavenn

[crystal-mouse]

FUN FACT TIME (sorry it’s too late for enrichment but fun facts are always fun)

in 1850 a doctor called george merryweather (sidenote: i love nominative determinism) invented a thing called the tempest prognosticator. basically he had 12 glass pint bottles and put a leech in each one. when the atmospheric pressure changed before a storm the leeches would wriggle(?) up to the top of the glass and knock out a piece of whalebone that was in the neck of the bottle. the whalebone was connected to a hammer that would ring a bell, so when the bell rang in succession that meant there would be a storm.

he was actually inspired by a poem (signs of rain by edward jenner (yes the vaccine guy)): “the leech disturbed is newly risen; quite to the summit of his prison.”

merryweather put the bottles in a circle so the leeches didn’t feel lonely. he also got emotionally attached to some of the leeches and wrote that they had befriended him. he called them his “jury of philosophical councillors”

sadly the leech barometer didn’t catch on :( he original was lost but there’s a replica at barometer world in devon (wait i just looked and the museum is closed but the leech barometer is on sale skdjfhs “leeches not supplied”)

george when his leeches start wriggling:

IT IS NEVER TOO LATE FOR ENRICHMENT! THANK YOU SM FOR THE FUN FACT!!

Cant believe the leechometre never caught on 😔😔 -then again the leeches at my local zoo always used to creep me out sm so maybe it's for the best

Also!! very fitting tho given the storms predicted >:))

Thank u frogothy!! :D