The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1882-10-12
LETTER FROM MEXICO.
SALTILLo, Sept. "a, 1882

LETTER FROM MEXICO.
SALTILLo, Sept. "a, 1882.
To the Editor of the Statesman:
Hardly q mail arrives that does
not bring me letters from different
points in Texas asking information
concerning the location of SaltillO,
its population, its altitude, tempera-
ture, death-rate, endemic and epi-
denic diseases, the supposed or
actual influence of its climate upon
asthmatic and consumptive patients,
its accommodations for invalids, Wis
tors and pleasure seekers, cost OF liv-
ing, civilization of its people, busi-
ness prospects, probability of polit-
ical outbreaks, etc.; and wishing to
impart all the information l can
command, both from personal obser-
vation and such as have been able
to gather from reliable sources, and
believing that l cannot do so more
generally, nor more effectually, than
through the extensively circulated
columns of the STATESMAN, | am
induced to beg space therein for
this communication, should you
deem the information iC contains OF
sufficient interest to its readers.
sALTILLo,
signifying in the native vernacular
"a little hop" though claimed by
some to be an adulterated word
from the Chichimeca (the name of
tribe of Indians that lived in the
section many years ago) idiom, mean-
ing ga high land of many waters" is
located upon one of the buena
vista (good view) table lands, within
basin in the Sierra Madre noun
tains distant, southwest from Monte
rey, sixty-five miles.
Its population, as per census of
1882, is $4,000, and its altitude, taken
at my request in July last, by Prot.
Hardaway, professor of civil engi-
neering in University of Alabama, is
500 feet above the sea level.
The temperature is remarkably
mild at all seasons OF the year. Dur
ing June and July of this year, said
to be the hottest period, the highest
morning, noon and night temper
ature registered iy my thermometer,
good and reliable one, was respect
lively 78, 80 and 70 degI ees the low
est, same order, was 68, 70 aud 68,
with an average continual temper
ature for the saline period of n de-
grees Fahrenheit. From informa-
ton furnished me by the department
of state, covering a period of three
years last past, in which an accurate
account of the temperature has been
kept, the highest mean morning,
noon and night temperature has
been 80, 81 and SO degrees the low
est 81, so and 54 degrees Fahrenheit.
DIR. Smith, an American, who has
resided here continuously since the
battle of Buena Vista, some thirty
five years, informs me that but once
in this time has the thermometer
indicated rs low grade of
heat as % degrees Fahrenheit,
this occasion lasting only q few
hours one morning, the in
strument being placed in a position
selected because of its exposure.
From data also obtained from the
state departments l compute
THE DEATH RATE
for the three years ending July l,
1882, at four per thousand. Many
will regard this as being exceedingly
insignificant, and yet it is greatly in
excess of what 1t should be when
considered in conjunction with the
location of the city, its altitude, per-
feet natural drainage and the salu-
brity of its climate; but, when con-
sidered with reference to the preva-
lent mode of life among the poor,
constituting large majority of the
population, in darkened, over
crowded, badly ventilated apart
ments, anti-hygienic with respect to
their persons, food and habiliments,
and also that the well being of this
class in the earliest and tenderest
moments of infantile life is en-
trusted, almost exclusively, to the
charge OF ignorant, superstitious
| old women, called curanderas."
who, as the infant advances in life,
are often enough the only medical
advisers whose services are sought
in time of illness, it becomes a won-
der indeed that the mortality is not
several times greater than it actually
| is. More than four-sevenths of the
entire number of deaths are among
children, and are, doubtless, in hum
dreds of cases. due to the causes
above stated. L have not en-
countered, nor can 1 learn of any
epidemic disease of this plaC Q
or among this people. OCCASIONALLY
mild types Of measles, whooping-
cough, scarlet fever, typhus fever,
and smallpox prevail in some
thing like small epidemic pro-
portions. Diphtheria is abso-
lItely unknown, while consump-
ton, asthma and acute rheumatism
is very rarely met with. Aside from
the exceptions indicated above, after
excluding malarial and mental dis
eases, there is nothing special with
reference to the diseases of Saltillo
that does not obtain in healthy local.
tiles elsewhere. The system of COM
pulsory public vaccination that is
being rigidly enforced will soon
leave no soil for the growth and
spread of smallpox in this commu-
nifty.
My own limited observation, forti-
fed by the extensive experience OF
DIR. Smith, as well as by the testi-
mony of other competent and close
observing medical gentlemen, leaves
no room for doubt in my mind as to
the fact that the climate of Saltillo
supplies everything that the asth-
matte and
CoNsUMPTIvE COULD REASONABLY
EXPECT
from such source anywhere. Take
the altitude of the city, its location
its perfect drainage, the mildness Of
of its temperature as shown by the
average and the moderation of itf
extremes conjointly with the rarity
of its atmosphere and complete alb