The sun., 1897-04-18
and no altitude. mnkes a difference that Is

AR IL dry IL hhHtGnA the 0rylnR OF tn0 eIpeC-
torated matter, that It Is more easily carried
are, not consumptivo are. from family history.
the average person. o 4 All these facts act would seem @
on their face topoint to the danger of contsgion;
but letus consider the other side of theq uestion.
:, The germs once on the ground are more rap
idly killed by the action Of the sunlight, which.
sky and very thin, clear air acts far more
promptly as a disinfoctant than in a moro hui
mid mic climate: II is an equally important point
than in most places. Even when inhaled into
the lungs the .tubercular germs are met by a
TO infection by climatic environment. In other
words, the climate of AL our high. dry platoaus
of consumption to maintain their virulcnce
or to find suitable soil In the body or
lungs Tor their growth Now. this is not con con,
fenretl, great danger from contagion in Colorado
Springs. surely 1t is a fact easily observed. The
health resorts, Colorado Springs has only
transient population. and that people who have
do not live long enough here to be reported.
Colorado Springs is essentially n city Of homes.
manent population is large enough to allow one
to secure careful statistics.
can Journal Of tho Medical Sciences a report
on all the cnscs of non:imported consumption
cases, with their histories. six of them died.
Four OF these died, making ten deaths in ali, in
twenty years. This number is so small as com
pared to the number in any town OF the same
sizo In the United Stutcs as To make II seem
unreasonable. The average number. of deaths
from consumption to each thousand of the
these S' fe three d Deaths. s' 1t Should be remem.
rered, only represent small number NJ , Of Of tho
with tho present knowledge OF climate cure u
doctor sends his consnmptivo patients away
accord. and II any of these die it does not add to
the death statistics, of their own city. but to
those OF some health resort. 1t is. too. a we'll
known fact that death returns are frequently
"doctorcd." and the words tubercular and con
sumption ere not put down for fear of objection
on the part OF some insurance company SO that
three deaths to the thousand per year is clearly
estimate Ii is also fair inference that these
three deaths represent cases of persons who have
contracted consumption in the place where they
die, as people do not generally 20 to city to DO
cured of consumption.
Theretore., nccording ,to, statistics Colorado
had last year Just sixty deaths from non-import-
ed consnmption to put it ,t on par; * reyards yard
or Philadelphis. What are the actual facts !
Last year but one such death occurred. There
S the %oalyy fy Of ali SH
others failed 10 reveal any more. Nor can 1t be
said that more, have occurred and passed un-
noticed. The doctors of Colorado Springs nre.
from necessity, practical specialists in consump.
tion or tuberculosis; they are keenly alive to ts
disease bear comparison with those of any city
in the country.
tracted in Colorado Springs is not an isolated
instance: probably all cities or towns situated
on this high. dry plateau would show very much
nine miles away, in practically tho same climate,
Illustrates the fact that this place M is no excep;
Denver. reported sixty.four deaths from non
imported consumption to 10000 inhabitants.
or less than onc-haif a death to the thousand ;
and DIR. Sewe1. after much careful research.
/ showed in 1895 rate in Denver OF about one.
third of a death per thousand of non-imported
| consumption. ,,
These facts are not confined to mankind. A
general immunity. from living In this country,
| herds where general environment character OF
food. shelter. and all conditions bearing on gen.
any Climate than those OF man. we have the
| same result. namely, that consumption in cattle
tSat heae ali Isr tSroash large part Of The tinted
States cattle are sacrificed in this plague OF tu
gaining ground that milk taken from cows so
diseased and used as food is in a great measure
responsible 81 for IEI many cases OF consumption oc-
Reports show that from IS to 20 per cent. Of
Eastern cattle arc tuhercular. The reports Of
has been made. The testimony from all over
thousand tho feet above the sea level, is the same.
IT, then. il is true that Is very often
marEaby exempt from this ,so,S disease adds adds
sumption in Colorado and twenty-five to fifty in
the hundred have 1t in the East and elsewhere.
there is not much room for DOUBT as to the com
parative danger from milk infection. In drink
OF milk taken in any Of our average critics below Nv
two thousand feet altitude, we run about 80
per cent more risk of contagion than we do in
Colorado Springs.
parison Illustrate the truth Of some statements
I have made by supposable case. We vii. for
example. suppose that there s Is city y or town ni
in this dry, elevated region); city OF 10000 In
habitants which has existed for twenty years
Der year; in fact. a town as nearly like this as
possible, but WITHOUT this special climate an, and
Of %I' the East With its damp climate, wishes 10
visit Colorado Springs; he would like to
friends here or the G0nniFEy oniE or or so to
fst0 bnt he he fesrs nHroA 10 Come. Whyi. Because
he has heard thst there is danger of catching
is crowded with invalids. and he may contract
the dread disease by coming in contact with
from danger. What are the actual facts His
own city, where no feels so safe from infection
destbs hss had from eonsmpton @ tat ratio of three
per j. .OOOl, all without doubt contracted. or
in ha. Place had Colorado ds,tSsP SPrfngs fram
consumption, caught here during the same time
and with the same poDulation
contracted In Colorado Springs has been ten
deaths in twenty years. town OF the same
size and gradual increase Of p9pul"tion In H." the
East would have had $50 deaths from the dis
ease in twenty years We & stand; & therefore. as ore
tractine the disease here as do In city of the
same size in the East; and any one who fears to
leave his home and come here TO live because
there is greater danger here. either does nc, not
know the actual facts or Is very weak on arith-
metic, as the ratio OF $50 to- 10 10. does os
and is SO OVERWHELMINGLY in our favor as to leave
no room for doubt that the danger OF contracting
the disease hero Is not based on any fact or
truth Whatever. / do not stand alone in my
opinion regarding the small risk from infection
here have asked all of the doctors practising
in Colorado Springs whose experience extends
over n period OF some fifteen TO twenty years
each, and they one and all have expressed
Themselves as agreeing with me In the conclu-
sion that contagon is a thing of very rare oc-
currence ,.,
We have seen that practical statistics care
fully taken show that consumption does not a., de.
yelop in this high, dry climate to anything ike
the extent that 1t does elsewhere. Fifty or sixty
develop the disease East TO one case developed
in Colorado Springs In spite Of ts consumhptiy,es ,s
Il due simply TO the climate means very little.
There are probably many factors. In my opin.
- ,hIa cIitnate after some twenty days or