Great Falls weekly tribune., 1895-01-25
MONTANA A HEALT THFUL STATE
DR.. Crutcler Gives Some Interesting z
Figures on the Death Rate
Here and Elsewhere,
And Tells How tu Avoid the All
mcnt| Jncldent To Il High
AititGdc.

The following is portion of a paper
read before the late farmers Institute by
DR.. Crutcher on the subject of "Diseases
of Montana" 1t contains much matter
interesting to the public generally:
The question has often been asked me
by insurance companies, prospective i'm.
migrants, and others: "What are the
prevailing diseases of Montana" My
candid reply has been: 81 do not know"
Montana has no bodily ailment peculiar
to her people, True, we have sickness
and doctors flourish like green bay
| tree, but in most instances the illness is
due to neglect of proper clothing or
careless or ignorant disregard of the Or
dinary laws of health. The healthful.
ness of this state is a feature too little
made known by those OF us who have
been here sufficiently long to give com,
petent testimony. | MAINTAIN that if
the ordinary rules governing hygiene
and clothing are observed there Is no
state in tho union that can exhibit d
fairer record for the physical we'll being
OF its inhabitants.
The death rate OF this state is about
l.O9, OF Illinois l33, of New York l3S.
Subtract the deaths due to exposure
and accident, to which miners and pros
pectOrs are subject, and such as are the
results of rotous living and we have as
deaths froI natural causes, due to eli
mate and Ia tlity, an extremely low rate
of mortality
Perhaps the most distressing malady
requiring attention in this state is com.
mon to all high latitudes. ! refer to the
results of the high tension that is put
upon the nerves of our people in general.
Not only is there something new and ex
citing constantly occurring in the way
of new enterprises, new developments of
material wealth, new phases or incidents
OF speculation, etc, to keep the mind
alert and the nervous system keyed to
great tension, but there is wearing ele-
ment in the dryness of the atmosphere
and an excess Of ozone. We know that
if a mouse be confined in jar of oxy
gen or ozone 1t will live but short time
and die in an ecstacy of delight. This
wind swept country is continually being
surcharged with the life giving oxygen
which, while giving us life, gives us toe
much of it We live too fast. We Can
not live in the slow. methodical manner
OF our cousins and our fathers IN the
east and south. Therefore we wear out
fast Care should be taken that we curb
our restless spirits and not overtax our
strength. Sudden deaths are not un-
common in Montana. There are several
for <h,c Il
and rheumatism is quite factor in
bringing it on; but heart failure from
overeXertion or nerve waste is the chief
Too much sleep cannot be taken here
Eight and nine hours are not hurtful
and should DO courted Especially is
this needful for growing children, nerv
Gus people, and old persons. Nervous
people should sleep much and bathe fre
quently in cold water. Stimulants of al
kinds should be avoided.
Another distressing thing that is found
IN mountainous countries and in certain
districts alongside streams that get their
water supply from mountains is goitre
| This is yet au obscure disease and is per
haps more dreaded in that young girls
are more frequently attacked thar
males. 1t consists in an enlarge
ment Of the thyroid gland OF
the neck. While its growth is sometimes
SLOW, 1t Is always source vi mOrtiIica
ton to its unfortunate pusscssur. AN d
entails III some instances much suffering
and Inconvenience. Under certain con
dltlous it becomes a grave matter. .Suicn
lists are divided in its treatment, ,ihC
most reliable Is residence in IA southern
ciima'e at II low elevation. \ cure is
often Effected IN this way without mcdl-
cines. Operative procedure Will DO tht
same, but should never be trusted Il
any than skilled surgeons.
II Is one of the boasts of our people
that catarrn Is unknown. La It's chronlC
fern this Is dOubtle-s s true, as in this eli
mate 1t tends to spontaneous cure. lr
it's acute form, however, we lind it afteI
exposure to Wlndstorms VI the nOstrile
are annointed with simple vaseine be
fore starting on. and upon when coming
in when the winds prevail this annoying,
"snutlles' will be obviated. The vaseine
should be we'll snuiIed up into the nose
} Persons liable to colds should be particu
Iarly careful to wear flannel the yeBl
round. In IA climate noted for sudden
fluctuations Of temperature this injunc
tion should not need much emphasis.
J In the spring time coliqnative diar.
rhoes are frequent, especially among the
young. ! consider it Il seasonable thing
to boil all the drinking water used until
the high waters have subsidized Noun
tain fever, which is a mild form of ty
phoid, is due to drinking impure water
or contaminated milk, In this latter dis
ease nursing and diet are everything
EscheW medicines.
Of course we find the usual eruptive
diseases among children. Their type is
never pronounced, and fatalities are not
common from such attacks Three times
have known ii rash to sweep through
this Northern Montana which was Of so
hybrid IA nature as to be treated by the
physicians of one town as measles and
by those of another as scarlet fever
| am convinced, on the whole. that the
sick in this country do not require much
medic ,tion. Nature is conservative and
if given chance and not crippled with
too many drugs will most times lo her
whole duty, Where the system has to
contend with an ailment and drug dis
ease as well. the efforts of nature are