The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-12-21
Montana's Glorious Climate and Its
Invigorating and Life Giving
Influences.
Consumption, That Scourge Of tho
Race, is Practically Nom
Existent.
A State With No Prevailing Disease and
Where Others Arc Modified and
Less Dangerous.
Written by DR.. J. J. Macdonald


ously shown as in the Rocky mountains.
From Montana to Mexico the slopes of the
Rocky Sierra present conditions of climate
that are peculiar, and that differ widely
from those of any other region, with the
effect that consumption-that scourge of
the races here practically non-existent.
II we consider that this disease alone does
nearly one-half the slaughter of men during
the years of active life, we shall appreciate
the Importance of this immunity.
What is true of vegetation in general is
true also of those organic germs whose pres
eEce in air and water are the causes of dis
ease. It has always been noticed that the
conditions most favorable for, and in de-
gree essential to, fermentation are heat and
moisture. The growth OF disease organisms
is a Preventative process In the dry air of
this country animal and vegetable matter
undergoes a slow decay, drying rather
than the fat rotting of moist climate. In
u torrid cline, whose air is saturated with
moisture, vegetable growth is most active
and SO, also, is the process of decay.
lhe less matter for decay and the less
active the process, the less abundant will be
the germ life in air and water. There
would seem to be more or less constant
IClAb1Ou OXl6UluR UcV~ccA UAC uiAOuAU VI
vegetable decay and the frequency and
variety of diseases. Cholera, the plague
and yellow fever are bred in tropic swamps
and we know the deadly nature of tronlc
climates in general, save where there is the
dry air by altitude, as in South America or
the dry air of the African deserts. Indeed,
it seems to be a truth in the physical as we'll
as in the moral world that, given album
dance and luxury man ceases to be heroic
and decays. Given an environment hard.
and not too harsh, enterprise. civilization
and virtue flourish. The effort to conquer
give power to overcome the greater evils of
passion, the legions that assail us from the
inner world. Civilization began i'll the
warm and generous country of the south;
the tides of conquest rolled from the north.
The parts OF earth where nature is
Central America, are also those in which
the odorous and balmy air is deadly with
pestilential vapors. where nature 'smiles
and murders as she smiles
The valleys Of Montana lie at an eleva
ton of from 1000 to 5000 feet above the
sea level, and these are reached after cross
ing wide and desert plains of the eastern
slope. Westerly we are separated from the
Pacific by mountain ranges, upon which
are precipitated the moisture of the Pacific
winds, that give to the coast country its
moist air and rainy climate. These west
winds deprived of watery vapor but yet
warmed by the heat of that great ocean
stream the Japan current, so modify the
temperature of Montana rs to give winter
climate much less severe than climates in
the states further east The climate of
Helena much resembles that of Denver
and although there is usually stretch of
cold weather in January in which the tenn
perature falls to from 20 to 40 degrees at
times. yet it is for brief interval only that
there is ice enough for skating and Mon
l n. -, <~,-A
the winter save in the high lying
camps. For the last two years the
grazing interests and agriculture have suf-
! fered severely for want OF water.
The year has 800 sunshiny days and there
are not many of the rainy days in which the
weather comes mostly in April, May and
June and these are the trying months for
such as have chronic lung troubles. Alb
sence of moisture has a remarkable infu-
ence upon susceptibility to cold and heat.
Neither high nor low temperatures are 80
| trying rs is the case in moist climate, and
except where billiards blow, cold, however
severe, is more endurable than in lower alti-
tude. The prevailing dry and sunny wealth
er allows invalids to spend great part of
| the time out of doors and for months men
may sleep in the open air With safety, and
makes a demand upon lung activity proper
tionate to the altitude, The mountain In
dian is,deeper chested and breathes in great
er volume than the plains Indian. The white
man who comes here becomes larger in
chest girth and develops an increase of
able in persons with lung disease. pro-
viding their health improve. Thus far We
have referred alone to climatic influences
upon diseases of the lungs. Save that sun
stroke ia never seen and that malaria ia OF
extreme rarity-the diseases that exist here
| hoe Tint provai1 in tho aokorn otQto
Typhoid mountain fever" is sometimes
very prevalent. but it is rarely seen with
the violent symptoms that are its usual
characteristics. In two years nine deaths
are reported for Helena in population of
1900. In these two years Twenty-Five
teen of these occurred in q season when the
disease might be called epidemic. In GER
tain localities, too, at certain seasons this
disease is very prevalent and killing. In
fictitious diseases IN general are probably
not affected by climate except in SO far that
the general standard of health being high
in given locality. there resistance to dis
ease will be the greater. Mortality, too,
is affected not little by the habits and oc
equations of a community. We have not
statistics. nor can such be existent for many
years, that will admit of fair comparison OF
certain diseases and of mortality
in this and other localities. We
may say, however, that Montana
has no prevailing diseases, and that many
forms of disease are modified and are less
dangerous to life than is true of the same
!, affections in other climates. This is
notably true of intestinal troubles of chill
dren. In one year in Helena there were nc
infantile deaths during the months of July,
August and September. the season of great
est mortality in other climates. A physi-
clan of large experience has seen in many
years not single case of cholera infantum
Doubtless the refreshing GOODNESS of the
nights that is constant with dry and
raritied atmosphere may have much in
tluence in etfecting this immunity. There
: are in Montana n great number of thermal
: springs with a great variety of mineral
j qualities. these, as yet, have mostly but 4
local reputation. and their effects and thei1
proper application and limitations are ye
to be studied. In rheumatic and other con
stitutional diseases, and in digestive affec-
X tons, brilliant results are often obtained
n There can be little doubt that in time man,
of these springs will become places of re
sort for invalids quite as popular rs ar
:, those of Europe.
al
breakfast Fish.
Fnnan haddies, smoked trout an,
smoked ciscoes. LINDSAY Il Co.
=. 20 and 81 Edwards street.
~ = Al.