The Press., 1893-06-08

ing to the great table lands of Mexico. Elevation from 5000 to 9 1000 feet. The Pacific coast of this country is as preju- dicial to consumptives as is the Mexican Gulf coast.
 AshevilIe, in western North Carolina, has the advantage of being nearer our New England people. and has most euuable climate; somewhat remote from the sea-coast; sheltered on the north by a range of the Alleghany mountains; has a population of 1900; public schools; churches of all denominations; good he- tels and private boarding houses; pure water from mountain source; electric street cars. Two daily trains reach Ashe- vile from New York, via of Washing ton. A sanitarian is here under the man. agement of Dr. Carl Von Ruck. Altitude 3. $50 it., $50 north. He reports average temperature from May to October 600, with mean maximum of 75o; for the other 6 months 49o, with mean maxi mum of 600. The mean relative humidl- ty during one recent year was 69 per cent, with the lowest average of 61 per cent, for the first 3 months of the year. Meas urements for ozone have been made for the last years, and an average Of 5O to 75 per cent was recorded.
 Much is said, and justly, no doubt, Of the pure and bracing air of Minnesota, but the winters are very long and cold, during which time those who are really invalid are obliged to confine themselves to indoors large part of the winter, yet it is remote from oceanic influences. Its altitude at Fort Smelling, near St. Paul, is 82O it.; at Fort Ripley, northwest, is 1850 it., in latitude 46. It is stated that it's wet season usually commences about the first of April, and continues months. The records of mean annual precipitation as kept at Fort Smelling, extending overa period of 19 years, corresponds nearly with that of New York.
 To the consumptive water is divine gift only as drink. Its harmful in form of mud or continuous fog, or "when 1t droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven '' Prof. Bronson once said to his medical class at tin e when many people had gone daft with the idea that water used daily as a bath or as often as they had strength to undress, was cure for con- sumption, said that if it was designed by nature that we should spend so much ot our time in water we would be provided with webbed hands and feet.
 It seems by the papers that the Russian physicians are favorable to cold climate in the treatment of Grand Duke George,
  der treatment for pulmonary disease in the mountains of the Caucasus. During the winter only moderate fire has been kept, while his windows have been con- tinuously open. His medical advisers hold that this low temperature is very beneficial to their imperial patient, and claim that the disease has been arrested that the low temperature tends to de- stroy the bacillus, and prevents the forma- tion of tubercle.
 Dr. Denison, of Denver, Colorado, who has made study of the climatology of his state and other sections of our coun- try. in an elaborate paper upon this sub- ject, with charts showing comparative humidities of different sections, repre- sents the lake regions of the north and the north Atlantic coast as having the greatest number of cloudy days and great est rainfall, and the states of Arizona, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico as hav- ing the extreme of dryness during the winter months and least number of cloudy days during the ten years past.
 ''The question of an altitude of immun- ity from phthisis is important because there is strong presumptive proof that those climatic conditions which prevail where phthisis seldom oI never originates are best suited to arrest the disease when it has commenced elsewhere. While al titude is governing element the associ- ated condition of dryness and sunshine seems to go hand in hand. Undoubtedly the effect of light upon mans physica and moral we'll being is analogous to the fructifying influence of the suns rays up on the vegetable kingdom"
 "The contradictions to the greatest attitudes of Colorado and the bordering states are the advanced age of the indi. vidual, rendering acclimation difficult valvular lesions with rapid action of the heart; marked and extensive emphysems pneumothorax and hydro -pneumothorax active pneumonia or existing hemorrhage high bodily temperature; extensive in vOlvement of lung tissue in diseased ac. tion, so that the healthy spirometrica record is more than one-half abridged and advanced stage of disease renders this standardization much stronger. The stage of softening is accompanied by marked pyrexia."
 Allowing patients to go to Colorado which physicians have done as a derniel resort, when they have not a five pel centnm chance of living more than six months anywhere, needs our strong con. demnation. Enough, however, has beer presented to indicate the way to desira ble harmony between the adaptability o1 an affected person and the preferable eli mate for phthisis, which in most cases is in the dry, cool, rarified, sunny clear anC pure atmosphere of a well chosen alti tude. Colorado is a highland state, be- tween 37 and Al n. lat, with mean night above sea level of 7 1000 fit. It has a re. remarkably regular and salubrious eli mate. Nights are cool, but without damp. pi in nth portion is 43o. At Denver the mean tenn. perature in July is 74o. With it's charm. ing parks it may become a great natural sanitaria. The various mineral springs hot sulphur and others, will be valuable as adiuncts.
 It is especially interesting to physicians that the climates of various countries having lines of sea coast and inland noun tain attitudes should cause development in coast localities and disappearance oi phthisis in the interior
 Prof. Orton gives the following account of the climate of the city of Quito, South America, which is $500 fit. above sea lev el: "Such is the clock-like order of ma. ture under the equator that even the winds, the most irregular of all meteoro- logical phenomena in temperate zones, tell approximately the hours of the day. They nave an orderly march-the ebb and flow of an @rial ocean. Nobody talks about the weather. Conversation begins with benediction or compliments. Con- sumption is unknown. Cases of if1ama- tion of lungs are rare. More coughing may be heard during Sunday service in New England meeting house than six months in Quito. Phthisis increases as we descend to the sea. The various eli mates of Peru are changed by the measure of elevation and distance from the ocean. Phthisis I learn is properly product of it's coast. Nor is there in all this range of climate locality in which phthisis is more prevalent than in Lima, it's capitol, city of the tropics, on the Pacific coast, founded by Pizzaro."
 Dr. Archibald Smith, physician of long residence in the mountain regions, of that country, says that tuberculosis is lit tie known to the native population, ex-