New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-02-20
CLIMATE AND DISEASES OF CALIFORNIA
sY A PHYSICIAN

n AZ EsssOv n TAs T'tss.s
The writer OF the following letter Ia Physicisn
saa wei krown to me- he las bal professional exp~s
ence q more Asn twenty yesrs IN feh praetes IN -
SAFE 4 Mare Hs .srsr VII - esteemed ey Aoss wh
Know bin. ard II usy be in'srosrng 10 he rcsse's q
ne rriS~.s kiktf ND
.. Bsoslsss. TsA s $50
sAx FSAxctsco. Dec. - isss
DEAK DooroR kIRsY; Since had the plessar'
Of seeing you. have seen the Elephant s IN
phrase goes have Travelled over good portion o
the ~ Dorsde-expsored its mountains. It's valleys
It's streams Sni Is diggingp, both wet and dry.
/ have been familiar with grizEly Bears, and grin
I Death have cO0tended. both IN hospital aud PRIV
ate practice. with ali the forms Of disease which
I have been 81 istsl "a the army Of gold scekers
| and think know California Wei enough ~ give
yog reliable Description Of its mines, climate and
diseases
As 10 the counrry ITSELF il 10. as yet the least
desirable place OF residence % the gobe, except
perhaps the Deser, of Sahara. IL never rains
when rain is desirable. or could 10 any good aod
in Sumner the heat and dust are ,Esoeraole.
while in Winter, when the mildness OF the weather
would be deighttnl the constant rains render the
whole ooantry impossible BY conVeruns the SOL
into an ocean q; mud.
Many bsme the climate and CONSIDER the wstes
bad bat must say consider the climate q vep
good one. and the waters Of the Sacramento the
purest and sweetest | ever drank. The diseases
endemic here are similar 90 those 81 our W estern
States such Fever and Agae. Bilious Remit
/ tents, D,srrbeas and Dysentsues IN the hottest
/ part OF summer aud Autumn. but al OF mildsf
character than the same diseases in our Western
states But since the advent Of the gold hunters,
disease So far as I can learn. heretolore unknown
mere, has made its appearance a knowledge AMI
iust appreciation OF the nature Il which 10 neces
scter other diseases have assumed here tho past
season This disease IS called by the miners Land
Scurvy AMI when fully developed is a terrible a.
far and although resembling in its appearance the
sea Scurvy or salt disease Is essentially different
both as 10 its cause and means 0. cure.
In order fully q explain my views OF this disease.
a short physioogica dissertation viii be necessary
Modern chemistry teaches MS that animals do not
create for themselves any new matters. but Only
lsSimiate aud appropriate 10 theu own growth and
nutrition material created and prepared tor their
lse by the vegetable Kingdom. Man sysis him
sell OF these uutritive matters either primarily IN
Inc shape OF grnns, fruits, ncots, &c or seccndariy
by ieediug upon other animals who have already
appropriated 10 themselves the same Kind OF sub
stances Now, al food 10 divided into two classes.
called respectively respiratory food, or that which
5 consumed by the process Of breathing and pro
ducton OF animal heat and nutFtive food or thst
which goes 10 build up the system. and supply the
waste. The hrst class consists O, starch, gum,
sugar, vegetable and animal oils, aud the different
preparations OF alcohol The other class 10 compos
"A ~ h0riuc Or the ,ean part ct meat the cosgulum
of blood eggs cheese, OF tho oosgulable part OF
MILK the gluten or tough part OF wheat, beans and
other vegetables Now, every man must be sup
piled with a due proportion OF these two classes,
which proportion varies according 10 the tempers
lure and other conditions IN which q man 10 placed
For instance the Lumbermen Of Maine and
Ia Nrt.a. fls al lima
Winter season. almost exclusively upon tat pofk,
iour and moAsses. and In the Spring come out
perfect specimens OF health and yisor, willis In
sammor upon the same diet ia the woods. they are
apt soon 10 break down and come out looking
.ickly snd emsciated
A Laplander or Esqumaux will eat and even re
qu,re quantity OF fat that would destroy an nhsb'
,ant OF Tropca. or Temperate climates, while tho
ruits and vegetables Of warmer regions would not
le sufficient 10 support life IN high attitudes
Now in order 10 posses. health We mus. attend
20 and conform 10 thc laws Of our organisation This
ha miners and California emgrants have not done
pom their overland journeys and AZ the mines
hey have almost entirely lived upon fried bacon
pr tat pork and -four made into batter-cskes and
-icd Ia the tat. which completely saturates IL, aud
his q washed down with large quantities OF strong
rolee and large quantities Of brandy Or whisky
taken IA the intervals Of the meals THIS has been
the diet Of thousands for months under scorohlnB
,lu when the temperature was over hundred IN
the shade and Al the same time subjected TO most
intense labor
Now from what We have learned Of the require
ments Of the system. what Will result Why, we
shall ind the muscular system in state Vt stsrvs
ton from want OF supply of hbrine In tho shape Of
lcan meat, and Of complete exhaustion nom over
exertion stimulated BY the lovo of gold. strong
coffee and alcohol, and the whole economy poison
al by beng saturated with fat, which was not re
CURED Tor the production of animal heat
The consequence Of this IT, that ator time the
strong man generally tho strongest, the heartiest
feeder aud best worker Ia the company suddenly
inds himself destitute Oi strength hs limbs tail, hs
mas paptatons 81 the heart on the slightest move
meut his limbs contract and are troubled with
cramps has face, lips and tongue are boodess, his
sums swell and bleed, black spots show themselves
ia various parts IT the body, sometimes covering
lalt the surface, aud n no amelorat0n takes place
yo patient suddenly expires from some slight effort
at motion This Is picture oi severe case but
notifications Of these symptoms manifest them
selves IN large proportion Of tho people who have
como ia over the Plans or have spent much time al
the mines. and II they happen 10 contract or get
development Of any Of the endemic diseases OF the
cJuntry such sgue, disrrhes or sysentery, from
this broken state OF the system, no vital reactions
take place, and physicians are astonished at the
difficulty Of getting patient up whom once down
and dose OF caOmel Or q blue phi have seen
dose Of castor oil taken for constipation produces
dlarhea very difficult % cure.
Now IN regard D. the Mines OF this country
am satisfied that gold-dggng has rs yet not com
nenced that the surface wsshngs are simply
Gathering thu chips which old Time has been iof
sges hewing from the main blocks which stl DO
entombed In the bosom Of the mountains, 10 the
immediate neighborhood d the rsyincs and rivef
oars where the shayings and chips are deposited
aud the aura sacra fauSs is bound still % ORA"
thousands hither from all parts Of the world
The question. them Is one IT some consequence
Must tho ranks be annually decimated Is they
have been the past season / answer without hest
tation. that there IS nothing IN the climate " wa
ters Of California particularly unhealthy and that
there is not another country the globe vhsrs
men could practice sach a disregard OF all the laws
( the animal economy with mach IMMUNITY and
so small per centage Of deaths as they have done
here
Let those coming here, as well ss those already
"a the country, make their arrangements 70 avoid
PORK Diet supply themselves with beef OF hsh, salt
+ they cannot get fresh wheat, meal or bread
made rom il cheese. drsd fruits when possible
and Indian corn meal and nee. Let them boil IN
.tsad ct frying their provisions avoid slcobol, In
ra,ra rsaihey most especially and instead Of OF
lee or tes, use chocolate with their meals.
Follow the instincts u nature BY avoiding severe
abor in the heat Of the day and let not the love Of
gold stimulate D. an OvertazinV Of the powers ID