Los Angeles daily herald. [volume] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1873-1876, 1874-03-14

This Is commonly either an intermit-
tent or bilious remittent. After wet
Winter, followed by o hot Summer,
cases are not uncommon in these To-
calities of typho-malarial fever. Much
of this sickness can be traced to houses
built low upon the ground, without
proper attention to ventilation or the
circulation of air under the floor.
Persons living in properly constructed
houses seldom suffer. Over the greater
portion of the country, however, ma
laria is unknown.
Cases of pure typhoid fever are
rarely seen. After four years of active
practice cannot recall case. DIR.
Edgar, after some eight years in the
country, gives the same testimony.
DR.. Griffin, after upwards of twenty
years in the practice of his profession,
says he has seldom seen case. The
same may be said of typhus. @
In the same localities where typho-
malarial fever is found, tendency to
inflammation of the liver sometimes
sabcess, can be noticed. Tenderness of
the liver is feature of nearly all the
fevers. 56f
have seen number of cases, of
cirrhosis Of the liver, with albuminu-
ria and degeneration of the kidney,
hbut they have been clearly traceable
to the use for years of sour wines and
other forms of spurious liquor. Habit,
and not climate, was here at fault.
Miasmatics neuralgias, periodic in
recurrence and durable with quinine,
are frequent in the same localities
that furnish fever cases. Pneumonia
and bronchitis are rare. th9
Rheumatism, generally in sub
acute form, is occasionally met with,
but is not common. / have noticed a
singular tendency to tranmatic tetan-
us at, certain seasons especially fol-
lowing lecerated woinds. One case,
apparently idiopathic, has come under
my observation.
- Phthisis, originating in the country,
is, think, very seldom found. A few
deaths occur from it among the Span
ish, especially where there has been a
milking of blOods, with a resulting di-
minished vitality. The per cent of
cases to population is, however, very
small. lfe.
Many persons in the different stages
Of the disease come from abroad, hop
ing for relief from the climate. Most
az them come too late, and death is, if
anything, fastened by the fatigue of
the journey and the change from home
comforts to hotel life. Persons with
only predisposition to the disease, or
still In its early stages, especially if
they go to the Mission Valley, or live
lin the region of the foothills, are often
much benefited. am quite satisfied
, that the localities mentioned offer to
such persons aclimate unequaled upon
the coast. The warm, dry atmos-
phere, free from the dampness and
chill of the sea, and yet near enough
to be preserved from excessive heat, is
far superior to the air of either Santa
Barbara or San Diego. The peculiar
ity of the Los Angeles country is that
it is a broad, deep valley, facing upon
the ocean, SO that while its foothills
and it's interior are tempered by the
sea-breeze, they are still far enough
from the coast for the air to become
warm and dry before reaching them.
The invalid or immigrant has these
advantages too, while living in what
is the center of business and popula-
ton of Southern California. rlI rt-
Back of Los Angeles, and separated
from the sea by the continuation of
the Sierra, but entering through the
San Gorgonio Pass, is the head of the
Colorado Desert. With it's heated at
mosphere, almost devoid of moisture,
and its hot springs, it will in the fu-
ture be one of the greatest resorts for
the relief of chronic rheumatism.
The line of the Southern Pacific Rail-
road, now bnilding from Los Angeles,
runs directly across the upper end of
the desert. l.5l
The we'll known healthfulness of the
climate of Los Angeles has drawn q
constant stream of the sick and infirm
from the upper portion of the State,
and from the East. In addition to
these, the mining interior and Arizona
send many of their diseased and disa-
.bled here for treatment. These facts
explain mortality that otherwise
might seem too high. 1t is only by
carefully classifying the deaths and
registering those which are the natu-
raj termination of disease brought here
that the true mortality is established.
When this is done, the per cent is
found to be very small.