The National tribune., 1890-12-18
CHAPTER XCIV.
TRAVELLERS TRAPS.

I
| ing the coast at Aiarseilles, jumped over the
cliffs and dropped into the waves Of the MeIi-
/ teTrauean.
The establishment Of that Inflated traveller
can hardly have surpassed that Of many Ameri-
can invalids who go 10 Florida in Winter in the
| hope OF finding relief from some disOrdeTof the
| respiratory organs, but within few weeks after
their arrival in the Land Of Flowers find the
| symptoms of their malady aggravated to an
| unprecedented degree. Docs the territory Of
/ the United States not reach far enough SOUTH
| they wonder, though they know Of friends who
have gone to southern Mexico and Jared still
worse. us there no balm in sunlight How
| can IL be explained that the natives Of the far
| Tropics are almost exempt from lung diseases?"
The matter is this: Far down south where the
/ climate is mild enough to make outdoor work
! pleasant all the year round, consumption does
not often originate, because few of the natives
follow indoor occupation, in the New England
sense of the word. Evel tailors and cobblers
work in wide-open stalls; most trallicking is
carried on in open halls on the market place
agriculture and stock-farming are the staple in
dustries OF rich and poor. In the city of
OaXaca, Mexico, / once saw q public letter
writer who carried on his business i'm the public
square under the shade OF a big cotton UNI
brella. He had portable writing-desk and
two small chairs, one Of them for his customers,
who often whispered their message into his ear
He also drew up contracts and deeds-all in the
open air. In countries Of that sort Dr. KOch's
consumption microbes do not get a fair start in
business since not one person out Of a thousand
passes the tenth part of his time behind closed
doors. IL has been noticed, though, that those
who do-nStiyes OF the Tropics confined in
prison or in stufy factory shOps-often develop
tuberculosis in that specially malignant form
known as "gallnping consumption" because
the climate Of the South, especially of southern
coast plains and river valleys, combines heat
aud moisture almost the year round in a way
favOring the rapid development of all disease
germs.
In Montreal, Canada, some kinds Of climatic
levers arc absolutely unpTOpagable. They
may be introduced again aud again, and per-
haps involve a few native victims under cir
cumstances favOring contagion to an unusual
degree, but in a few weeks they die out with
out the assistance Of the Health Office In
Havana or Vera Cruz the same diseases would
assume the form Of epIaemics. spreading with
the rapidity of an uncomfortable con fiagration
Consumption is less contagious. but within the
organism Of the individual victim the disease
once started, will progress much faster than in
dry, cold climate.
Hence the disappointment OF hundreds of
Winter travellers, VINO hope to find panacea in
the air OF the Sunny South and only find il 20
stimulate the vIgor OF the parasites that have
T.
even Of the Florida Coast swamps is hardly
ever stagnant toa perilOus degree but indoors
the combination Of atmospheric impurities
moisture, aud brOOding heat is trying TO the
stOutest constitution, and reacts fatally on tine
sensitive organs Of iHvalids. STILL OF course
IN choice between permanent indoor life up
North and almost constant outdoor life South
prepOnderancc Of advantages would recommend
the latter alternative, but the best modern
specialists on pulmonary diseases e. a. bio
Lewiss " Weak Lungs aud How 70 Make Them
Strong have cOnelusivey demonstrated the
possibility OF inyalids taking great deal Of
beneficial outdoor exercise in all but the
siormiest Winter weather OF our North States.
And before cOnsumptives decide on a soiourn
IN the Tropics they ought 20 compute the costs
the sanitary cOsts-oG the trip itself Stufy
bedrooms ia crowded hotels aud ill-yehtiiited I
sleeping-cars Oh crowded trains may work more
mischief IN single night than weeks Of out
door life are able 10 undo. Dyspeptics, too, are
apt 10 be disappointed in their expectation of
deriving much benefit from change of climate
involving long journey. Hotels aud railway
restaurants are not the places 10 be specially
fastidious IN ths choice Of Yiands. To hungry
traveller, confronted with a loaded breakfast
table aud tcn-minutes' chance 10 make out a
meal, the temptation is almost irresistible to
waive scruples aud join his neighLors in the
scramble Tor any attractive cOmestibles within
reach. And, moreover. it would be a mistake
70 suppose that the "sedenLary exercise" OF
railway travel Is specially propitiOus to diges-
ton. The modern improvements of car con-
struetion have reduced jots to a minimum;
the invalid sits crowded in between baggage
and fellow-tTayelers; the car is more than
likely overheatcd. aud the joint result Of the
experiment IS an aggTayatiOn OF dyspeptic
troubles, especially of constipation. The
almost IncuTable penchant of restaurant cooks
for oFer-spicing their viands is likewise apt to
tell on the comfort Of sensitive stOInAchs aud
few dyspeptics muster the lortitude To stick
to the cut-and-dried contents of their lunch
basket.
To cripples the hurry and furry incident TO
the best-planned journey may become a cause
OF serious complications. | remember the case
OF friend who had stumbled while out hunt
ing ia q thicket and driven splinter of hard
wood almost through his leg-unfoTtunateIy
not quite Tor the exact direction of the pene-
trating prong remained dOubtful-and i'm try
ing 10 remove it a portion Of the wood re-
manned behind and caused a frightful inflam-
nation. Having cause to mistrust the COM
petence OF the local medicine men the friends
Of the invalid persuaded him TO undertake. a
journey of several hundred miles in order 10
secure the services OF a skillful surgeon Of his
acquaintance. In reply 10 "A telegram the sur
geOn agreed 20 meet has friend on a special day.
but added that he would have to leave town on
the day after. The invalid started at once
trusting 10 luck in reaching the city In time
but "a few miles from his home the train was
delayed by some accident 10 the machinery Of
the locomotive, and IN consequence reached the
next junction So late that there was Just a frac-
ton Of a chance 10 catch the outgoing train on
another road occupying q separate depot.
There were no hacks on hand ia the Wretched
little village, and in his anxiety to catch the
train This one chance TO reach the city in timel
the invalid offered a stout negro - To drag him
To the other depot inside Of five minutes The
distance WAS only quarter of a mile aud the
darkey tried his best TO earn his money bv
almost carrying his passenger, but there were
places where the wounded man had 90 content
himself with gTasping the arm OF his guide.
they reached the depot. They were lust in
time for their train, but two hours after leaving
theJunction the cripple began to fear that the
strain OF that forced march had hurt him more
this his surgical friends remedy. His leg
about the knee joint began TO swell out of all
shape, and the torture ia trying 10 put his foot
down was almost InsuppOrtable. On arriving
at his destination the next morning he had 10
be carried To the waiting-rOOm, and his friends
Tearing the worst Insisted on removing him 10
private hospital. Here he fingered in torture
Tor the larger part Of a month, fighting gam
creme and all sorts of perilOus complications
aud when they at last got him on his legs again
the JOY at his recovery was almost neutralized
by the verdict Of his chief medical attendant
The splinter had been removed TO the last frag-
ment, aud, after careful examination Of the
wound, the truth-lOving surgeon gave il as his |
deliberate opinion that IL his patient had just