Los Angeles herald., 1891-12-07
INQUIRIES AS TO cLImAroLoGY.

lRaUlhlbS AS r,
The effect which climate has on the
health of human beings has been the
subject OF much speculation in the past.
It has generally been assumed that the
Riviera of the Mediterranean, with some
choice spots in Africa, on the southern
side of that famous and favored inland
sea, have been the center of intelligent
sanitation dependent on climate. Lord
Byron does not confirm this view of
Italy, and of that portion of Italy, in
Guiding Nice and Mentone. that now
| belongs to France. The climate of Italy
is more in the Imagination than in the
reality. Rome is really located in
harsh zone, and even the southern por-
tion of Italy is not what it is cracked up
to be from meteorological point of
view.
A very pronounced interest has been
excited as to the climatic claims OF Italy
Of late, and several enterprising jour
nails have concluded to dedicate enter
prise and money to the exploitation of
this matter. Thus, in the New York
Sun, of the 22d inst, we find the follow
| ing:
DIR. Edmund Charles Wendt is in
London, en- route TO the Riviera, on a
mission that may prove to be OF great
Importance to the civilized world. DR..
Wendt is commissioned by the New
York Medical Record to investigate the
sanitary and climatic conditions of all
the principal cities OF Southern France
and Italian Riviera, as we'll as of Flor
ence, Naples and Rome, to ascertain
whether the conditions are as bene-
fetal to patients, whom physicians
from all parts of the world send
thither, as has always been imagined.
DIR. Wendt says that many patients feel,
upon returning from wintering in these
sunny southern cities, that they have
not been benefited, and it is with view
to settle this question for the medical
fraternity that the Record sends him
over there. His investigation will occu-
py the entire winter.
In the same date we find the follow
| ing from the World:
| TO BENEFIT AMERICAN TOURISTS.
DIR. Edmund Charles Wendt, of New
York, one of the editors of the Medical
| Record, has passed through London on
his way to investigate the climatic and
hygienic sanitation conditions of the
Riviera. He is going also to Florence,
Rome and Naples.
His object is to supply correct infor-
nation to American tourists, many of
whom have contracted ailments in these
places, instead of bettering those they
went to cure. As result, scores of
Americans are going to Lower California
and Florida this winter instead OF 60
ing abroad.
This departure of DIR. Wendt is of
course an interesting matter. But it
seems to us that the New York Medical
World might very well dedicate
some Of its surplus cash and
energy to exploiting Southern California
not Lower California-as the World
suggests. There is a tendency on the
| part of eastern newspapers to confuse
| Southern California with Lower Cali
fornia. The region that needs to be ex-
plotted is the southern portion of the
state of California, which belongs to the
United States.
There are a great many people who
are now living in Southern California
who have resided for years on both the
African and the Italian shores of the
Mediterranean. We have never met
one OF them who did not unhesitatingly
express his preference for Southern Cal
ifornia, and this choice took no account
of the fact that in this country we have
American institutions and associations,
which, of course, ought to count for
something with Americans.
This question is very important one,
for undoubtedly on the hygienic propo-
sition alone millions OF dollars are sent
yearly to Europe. 1t is perhaps no ex-
aggeration to say that fifty million dol
lars year are sent to Europe mainly on
hygienic considerations. Ii, as matter
| OF fact, Southern California is a much
better health region than these much
vaunted European hygienic resorts, it
ia quite important that it should be
known.
Lord Macaulay, in his history of Eng
land, says that Sir William Temple, one
OF the noted statesmen of the William
anu MARY Ic2iuS3 says tIidt IuiS OO-
servant old statesman had noted the
fact that great many Englishmen OF
advanced age had got into the fashion
of going to Mexico and South and Cen
trail America, and had thereby pro-
longed their lives. The Investigations
of DR.. Wendt cannot fail to be interest
ing, but they ought to be extended to
Southern California, to round out the
inquiry.