The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1860-07-11
TILE CLLNA TE OF THE GLADES

THE CLIMATE OF THE GLADES,
$500 FEET ABOVE THE TIDES OF THE CHES
! APEAKE
From the Advanced sheets Of the Maryland and Viruinia
| Medical Journal
The yearly increasing facilities of travel are pro-
ducing changes in the customs of our urban popu-
lations. The season for travel has now arrived
Since early spring, one of the first questions be-
tween friends and acquaintance, when meeting
has been, "where are you going this summer" and
now the time has come when the decision must be
final. Excursions from the city, for the benefit of
health are now as general and necessary habit for
all families who can afford it as reading the news
paper, or eating breakfast. The choice ola place
should not be guided by prejudice or taste alone,
but with due regard to the principles of climatic
changes, the nature of the bath and medicinal
waters, and the adaptation of the locality to the
temperament and condition of the individual
These things being properly taken into considera-
tion, will prevent, as far possible, erroneous
application OF time and money. Hitherto, the more
obvious and tangible properties of mineral waters
have attracted attention, and directed study AS
general thing, the stronger the waters could be
made to appear, on analysis, the more they were
sought after. But experience and knowledge have
corrected this falacy. The adage, ''what is potent
for good may be potent for evil" has been often
verified with regrets it, the after effects of an ex-
cessve inhibition, during afew weeks tour amongst
our aqueous sdndtoriu.
The curious may find much to interest them con-
corning climatoogy and medical geography in the
learned work Of Or. Won Muhry,. who has dis
cussed the subject from Finland to Patagonia in its
breadth and Importance; but more is still! to be
learned from the means of rapid travelling which
science has lately placed at our command and
which the progress of the age is daily and fully
developing. All aerial districts give us an homo
geneousness of atmosphere truly surprising
Chemists have determined its constitution to be of
oxygen % OILS, and nitrogen &C. $50 parts by weight
together three to he pf
acid, and proportion OF aqueous vapor varying
with the location and meteorological circumstan-
ces. So long as this constitution remains unds-
turbed, atmospheric air is wholesome and invigo-
rating to animated nature. The significance of the
often used expression ''pure or impure air." al
though strictly local, has such practical appca-
ton to summer exeurs'onists that an interest is at
once attached to the examination of the sub ject in
detail First-What do mean bv impure air
From what do we ay? and whittier?
The salubrty of the air of towns differs from
that of the country as % differs from a. That is
| where an individual has chance of attaining the
age of % years in the air of town, he would have
equal chance of living to the age of "a years in
the air of a salubrious country residence. The
same relative difference exists in vegetable life.
The coroary therefore, follows, that outoftown
residence during the summer months, when the city
air assumes its most noxous phase, is, of ITSELF
means of prolonging life; and in proportion to the
adaptation of the climate ar) sought to the health
fulness of the individual this prolongation of life
must be greater or less. The impurities thus far
found in the air of towns are, the absence of zone,
undue proportion of carbOnic acid, the presence
of sulphur compounds, and an excessive amount of
organic matters In some cities, especially those
west of the Allegt anies, this increase is as is to
%. This difference between the tainted atmosphere
of town and the purer air of country localities is
obviously of disease upon a large scale, as
the increased mortality proves.
1t is not necessary, expedent in all cases,
to seek the aid of medicinal waters. The more rad
ical the change of air be made during the brief
| Ind no c1nn nt thn
cities can devote to this purpose the greater will
be the results. 1t is gaining health, as it were bv
steam. When Aladdin leaves his marble palace, or
MS brown, stone front, 1T is with the fair under
standing that the thing must be done quickly if
at all, and the sooner done the better Fortunately
there is convenient to all who will avail themselves
pitts benefits td5letdnd on the top OF the Aegha-
| ny mountains, traversed nearly twenty miles by
| the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. where the deni
zens OF the Eastern and Western Metropolises NAV
meet In pleasant intercourse, inhaline health with
every BREATH on the terms suggested by Asclepades
himself, cito. tHO, ct jucundi-quickly safely aud
agreeably. The popularity of the air at this point
should invite further study and, as beginning to-
wards this end, we, as medical men, propose to
give the results of our observations and experience
during recent professional visit to the locality
On the 18th of May 1860, the cars left Baltimore
at $50 A. NJ, and brought in nine hours to Pied
mont, situated at altitude of 72S feet above the
tides of the Chesapeake. From this point, upon an
up grade of seventeen miles, rising l16 feet the
mile We assembled to Altamont, q height of 1872
feet above tide WATER From green and fertile val
lies below, we glided to the mountain top, and to
region of lofty oaks bare of verdure as in Janua-
ry; fact which in itself will give some idea of the
change of air or climatic difference. feeling of
buoyancv, with slight headache is experienced to-
gether with increased strength, nnervation and
cheerfulness. The voice sounds differently Dipes.
ton is strengthened, sleep improved the circula-
| ton is excited, the skin becomes more ruddy, and
the cutaneous perspiration is increased, notwith-
standing the diminished temperature, and even
when the secretons are not stimulated by exercise
'Climate," says DR.. Forty, CONSTITUTES the ag-
gregate of all the external physical circumstances
appertaning to each locality in its relation to or
ganc nature" Authors upon the subject of noun
tain climates, for the sake of system and compare
son, have divided the earths surface into three
vertical regions. l. The lowest, or hot region,
would extend in our latitude to the height of 900
feet, having a mean summer temperature from 100
to SO F. 2. The middle, or temperate region, ex-
tending from 900 feet to 5000 or 3 500 feet with
a temperature from $40 to 100 T. 3. The superior
or cold region extending above this height and
never resorted to as a summer. residence. The
Glades, Gas this mountain table land is caed,) ar
pleasantly situated in the midst of this temp crate
region at an altitude of $500 or 5000 feet. Thi.
height being traversed by first class railroad
gives our physicians and inhabitants of the low
lards on either side, advantages which have only
to be known in order to be awaited of and appre-
ciated.
The village of Oakland, where the Glades Hotel
gives the attraction of excellent accommodation,
is in round numbers 100 feet lower than Altamont
or Cranberry Summit-a difference not in itself
likely to affect the climate very materially, al
though we were assured of the fact, that the dew
is often frozen at Oakland, when it remains liquid
at Cranberry Summit. The advantage of complete
and accurate thermometric and barometric data,
gether with the dew-point is wanting to compare this
climate with Others in details. From observations
made by Mr.. John Daley, prorietor of the Gades
Hotel, we will assume that the average range of
the thermometer is $50 F. lower than the average
of Baltimore during the summer months.
The average barometric height for this alt
tude has been carefully calculated from this data,
by Prot. John H. Alexander, LII. D., of Baltimore,
and although the result thus obtained land the
pest at present within our reach) are hereafter to
ne verlhed or corrected by more accurate observa-
IONS ana instruments, yet they will not be found far
rom absolute accuracy. The following table has
Deen constructed to show this difference in figures
81 was proposed to extend the
Richmond, Philadelphia, Memphis, St. Loniss and
Natchez but the meteorological observations of
the Smithsonian Institute being now in the pro.
prevented the extension of the table for the present.