New-York tribune., 1870-08-04
ITALIAN NOTES.
VII.
HEALTH OF ROME.
HLhbT III VT ItV3'III'
TPROM AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT

made to Rome and Naples in midsummer WITHOUT
special exposure to the health. This was Two OF
three years ago, but the extraordinary heat OF the
season. added to the prevalence of cholera detefreo
me from making the experiment WIN the inioii
ton that have since gained on the subject, shouid
not be disposed to express the same opinion Win '
friend The mortality of the present summer
which was foreshadowed by that of the early sprlng
affords an impressive warning against a TOO great
confidence in the safety of the Roman climate ana
other sanitary conditions. The truth is, temporary
residence i'm the Eternal City III any season oi the
year reouires precautions, which, through lghoi'o
or carelessness are too apt to be negiected ny 'o
visitor Ii is not so common as 1t once was 10 ieoo
ond a soourn in Italy TO inyalds for the recovery
| of health and believe that in few cases. has ~
experiment been tried with benefit to the sufferer
The Winter of course is the time usually selecUed
for visit to Rome At that season there are many
brilliant sunny days, when the soft ar ana pieuS-
ant skv remind YOU of the approach of Spring IN
other countries without its enervatlng influence
But YOU will not find the gales of Paradise IN every
win5 Nowbere ia the climate more fckle No
where are the sudden atmospheric changes more
disooreeable or more injurious. You can always
| detect an old inhabitant of Rome by the
| care with which he guards against taking
| cold He never exposes himself to the neat
| of the sum- He never sits for moment in current
of air. At all seasons he takes his oyercoat IL inc
weather be damp he expects to be out after rght-
| fall When warm with exercise, nothing will tempt
| him IN enter a catacomb or church, except st.
Peters. which always keeps a uniform and moderate
| Temperature To the inexperienced stranger such
precision appears superfuous. But he soon finds
that he cannot neglect it but at his peril lie learns
to notice the great transitions between heat and cold
| and to protect himself from their influence Inc
changes between morning noon, and night on ordi-
nary Winter days, probably act with more power on
the constitution than would seem to he indicated by
| the thermometer. In the same position, however,
have seen it in the morning at 80 60 f.; at noon,
98o-1OOo F.. and in the early part OF the
evening sinking down again to 81 r.,
| and even less. Between the shady and
sunny side of a window at the distance
of som ethng more than yard, there was often
difference of s. F. As long as yOu are in the house,
YOU do not feel these changes very senslDy Dut he
moment you go into street or an open square, you
are struck with the difference. AT about o'clock III
the afternoon of a bright day. the eminences with
western exposure like the Pincan Hi will be Dathed
in flood of light and you will find the heat almost
intoerable; but on returning through the adjacent
streets the change will be so great as to produce
severe chill and make you fairly shiver with cold
As YOU 90 down into the lower streets OF the CITY,
it becomes still worse, and if you are not well
wrapped I'D in warm clothing, fit of ague
may be the consequence of your imprudence. Ihe
narrow pathways, you can hardly call them
streets in the vicinity of the Piazza
di Spagna like the Via Frattina Tr-
tone, Due Marceli and Others which although Of
such contracted dimensions, are among the great
thoroughfares of the city, always perspire with
moisture for some time after rain. During the
almost intermnable wet weather which greeted the
arrival of the Fathers of the Council in December,
walk through those streets was like taking cold
bath. The influence of the sroccO in Rome, though
producing debility and Ian guor, is of less decided
character than in Naples and Sicily; and even there
! this hot wind from the sandy deserts of Africa
hardly comes mp to the lurid descriptions of the
books,-certainly not in Winter-according to my
experience. have distinct recollection of it in
Rome but in Naples it prevailed for some ten days
in succession, in the month Of February. The
atmosphere was lifeess and oppressive, there no
elasticity in its movement, you breathed as in
partially exhausted receiver, the whole system lost its
spring, mental effort task, and bodily exercise
| burden especially with persons of a delicate nerv
GUS temperament The wind blew with considerable
force and the sea- usually placid the waters of
| forest lake. before the windows of my hotel, be-
| came so rough to detain me for more than week
from voyage to Sicily. The steamers, which only
venture out timidy i'll fair weather, remained in the
harbor OF put into the nearest port. No doubt this
| peculiar condition of the atmosphere felt in
Rome and added to the numerous other sources of
discomfort, although you were not Immediately con-
! scious of its agency.
The attractions of sightseeing are fruitful cause
of injury to the health of strangers in Rome With
the Incompatible artistic treasures of the churches,
| the palaces the museums, the private galleries,
which are laid open to the visitor for the first time,
and which he will most probably never see again, he
is almost iTresistibly tempted to tax his strength
more than he can bear The endless suites of rooms
i'm the principal museums are often without ray of
sunshine, cold and desoate cellar; the feet
almost frozen on the marble floors; searching blast
perces you to the bone in the stairways and pas
| sages many of the most celebrated monuments are
in an atmosphere that reminds you of the vicinity of
the glaciers The beautiful villas, which adorn the
environs of the city, like the Villa Albani the Villa
Borghese, the Villa Ludovis and host of others,
| which combine the entertainments of rural scenery
with the seductOns of Art, cannot be visited without
great exposure, except perhaps, by persons of an
iron constitution and of the most robust health. In
severe seasons, frost is not uncommon,
| and artificial heat is rare. L found some
| of the rooms in the Vatican slightly warmed
! by Goals lighted in a brazier, and perhaps,
! in one or two instances, there hOt-air pipes
but such cases exceptional; a rule there
no protection against dampness or cold Few in
valids can withstand the temptation to remain too
long in places fascinating. The time passes away
mperceptibly; no inconvenience is felt at the mo-
ment one is almost laid asleep in body" amid the
spiritual delights of the scene; but physical con-
sciousness returns and the creepin chill which
comes the frame forces you to acknowledge the
penalty of your indiscretion / certainly never
would advise friend to resort to Rome for the bene
fit of his health in whose power of self-command