The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-12-18

lino ia published in the New York Ilibuhe
Abopt thirty years since, it was remarked
+hot the inhabitants Of the sandy ridge OF JANUS
,nnn;nc through middle South Carolina anu
GEORGIA we're seldom, afflicted with pulmonary
complaints, and that the disease MADE ou'
little prosress in those hereditarly disposed 10
:. When the South Carolina Railroad was
comnleted from Charleston to Alken' phys
go, frccnently recommended their p2t'ents
TO visit this place for change OF "ir' Tue
brscinr tonic effects of the climate haslus
,,rorofs remarkably eficacious to those suler-
mo from diseases of any asthuatic chalasvo5' o5'
and gradually its reputation Was ea.eioUt, tt.
Previous to the war. many Oh 'uo ~ StoLnar5
~ Charleston and planters OF Inc s-aDoaio
S,,;,t bonses here for their summer residences;
and m winter invalids from The Nofth oGeupieu
th a hotels and Luilt private Douscs' puE,IS
tho war DIR. Cailard was deputed py the
GonfeIerato Government to select iocatlon
for n hospital for the treatment OF puluo.alS
diseoses. After q careful examination VI W. Va,
rions localities in the South, nc rcconneitueu 1,
sa,;.;te onolificstions than eny other localty.
os the large number of invaids who visited
Florida the past winter, s few by chance 1ouhd
the;r Ivov here. and their concurrent tesllmo'
nv was that they improved mole rapidly Whiie
here and expressed regrets tDat tney ha9 noS
earlier known of the advantages Oh TINS pace.
The question naturally arises, Mhy snoulu the
climate of Aiken be more cmcaclons .n@h iaii osu-
ara (? No doubt there are many oeher locan-
tias similarly situated, which would proTe
eousily beneficial in sanitary point O! view,
hr,t at present most of them require the test OF
eyneriment while others are difficult OF access.
Az bas,s on which to form &C opinion,
we give the following facts: Aiken is STU
ated on high ridge OF land. which dlvldes tue
head waters of the Edislo River IRON inc .llo-
rtaries of the Savannah, being 6uO feet aDoVe
tide water. aud 400 feet higher than the sa'
yannah River at Augusta, 16 miles distant
To the west the descent Is 30 great as 10 re-
nnire n grade Of So feet to the mule for the
T1siIroad. To the north and south the lands
are rolling and undulating, and on the eaSs u
descent is so gradual as to .ppear level TO the
eve. The soil is saudy and porous, and thls
circumstance, in connection WIN the iornias .
ton of the country, gives peeiect s!s,san "
nstrral drainage, rendering even the atmos-
nhere peculiarly dry and elastic. Inns latter
tact is evidenced by the ease with which tue
fnnchon of respiration IS performed, even Dy
narties who have but moiety o. lungs capa-
hje of actine.3 High authorities state that the
rnnnlementary action OF the SKIN is III direct
ratio with the hygrometic CONDITION o. tne
atmosphere, and that the SKIN Is physioio9'
ically the chief supplement IN respIation'
and VITALITY important IN phthisis. BY the re-
norr of the Smithsonian Institute tho extremes
In 1857 for the several months were ms follows:
December, 1888 degrees; January, 732l; teo-
rnarv ~ 90: March. 1880; April, 81 S9; May,
ss 51: June 91.61; July, 93.7l; August $3.50;
September. 9O.64; OCTOBER, 85.42; November
1882. Mean winter months, 48 degrees; sprlng'
60: summer, 76; autumn, 81; annual mean' o4'
The highest point reached was 70 degrees
snd the lowest81 degrees. No climate IS er,
tirely exempt from sudden v:cissitudes aGd
Changes. Yet inyalids frequently remark tnat
they are no less seriously inconveiienced- D.
ehances here than elsewhere. The water IS
excellent. being transplreatly clear, ami lii
IN temperature about 62 degrees. The annual
falI OF rain is about 81 inches. lhe dew point
is invariably low. Steel instruments can pc
exposed for years without rIsting. Aids,
s;Iks and satins are free from mold, and salts.
which have strong atnnlty 10 moisture Gill
be kept without unusual care.
DIR. 4. Coffin, in an al ticle on "Clmate IN the
Treatment or Pulmonary Iuoerculous, re-
marks that ''the objects to be sought after are
]. As little action as possible, and consequont
rest to the organs more especially aHecteo,
viz: the lungs. 2. A freer action on the part
Of the supplementary e1cletory orGanLt1e
ekip. 8, A general tonic effect on the Wnoie
system. The first of these is to be OBJ aimed
ffon the exceedingly dry. highly oxygenlzed
air inhaled. The function OF respiration, winch
in damp air is felt to be performed, IL IN such
q medium carried on unconsclously; no euort
10 required to thoroughly @rate the b!ood, ana
Nature, healing in her tendencies, ls allowed
better chance OF repairing the local mlschieI;
This process Of natural respiration is stu
more .furthered by the increased Hepura.ory
action OF The skin, which IS 80 closely connect
ed ands so Complementary that OF the pu'mo,,
nary tissue. Ofthis we have al everyday proof
In the fact OF pulmonary disturbances, such as
cstsrrb, bronchitis an1 pneumonia, having
aS one o. their most frequent cnnsps IN" sud
den check OF the cutaneous secretion. IEls
increased action OF the surface is. however,
not noticed, for the peIspirat:on. which OH the
seaboard sticks damp and c!ammy to the skin,
IS here rapidly carried off by evaporation, so
that although one seems to perspire less, he
in reality persplres o great deal more, and OF
all the emuuctories, the skin is, from tho ex-
tent and freedom OF its surface, decidedly the
safest. The third beneficial effect, VIZ, the
tone impaired to the general system Is pro-
duced partly by the relief obtained by the two
causes above mentioned, and partly also by the
fact OF the lnvalid's being able &c live the
greater part of the time in the open air. This
open and free-air life can be INDUCED in to tho
greatest extent in O climate where, a few hours
after the heaviest rains, the ground, owing to
the excellent natural drainage, becomes dry
enough to walk without danger OF wettlns
the teet." The climates to which Amer
lean consumptives most frequently re-
sort are those Of Minnesota and Florila.
The FIRST IS exceedingly dry and cold, and the
latter temperate and moist. The extreme cold
OF Minnesota, where the thermometer some.
times falls to forty y.iye degrees, although trac-
ing aud ex1llarating to the strong aud robust,
must necessarily confine the debitato inva-
lid to the chimney cornsr much OF the time,
and where there ls tendency to bronchial
affections, the keen, cutting winds will DO
found insupportable Ga tho other hand, the
deb;htating effects Of the damp, mild climate
Of lcrida (and the Southern seacoast gene
rally), where the altitude ID bat few feet
are slow and sluggish initiates seriously against
the PATIENTS recuperation. The climate OF
Aiken exempt on one hand from the c2trepls
cold, aud on the other from the moist atmos-
phere, has provedmo ef1cacious in thousands
ofcases. As general rule G. psun2tlve5 are rec
omrnendsd to go to the country IN preference
to crowded cites. aiken conolnos soma OF
the advantages Of both city and country life.
Here they can DO IN daily communication With
their friends Of home by mail or telegraph.
Churches and schools are established; tho
tone OF society Is superior to that OF most
places OF like size; articles OF luxury or COM
fort are at hand, or can be easily had from the
neighpcring large cities; the physicians are
gentlemen Of tigh standing in their profess
sion. who have made this disease ther
specially; horses and carriages can be hired ut
the livery stables; good board cln De had at
the hotel, or in private families or at tie
arm.houses in tce vicinity. The appearance