The sun., 1897-04-18
POPULAR SUBJECTS.
n ooxsUMPT1oN CONTAGIOUS,
rns Entraordinnry Exeulptien from the Disease
in tho HiEh Attitudes OF Celorado.

EXtrnOrdtnhfy BHemnuom from the Disease
in tho High Attitudes or Colorado.
To rHR EDITOR OF TIE sUN-Si-: with the
nresent agitetion In many Of our largo cities
concerning tho extension and spread OF that
dread life destroyer, consumption, with health
boards passing laws against splitting in streets
and public places, with cattle being killed by the
hundreds TO prevent tubercular meat infection,
and with legislative bodies gravely considering
,;o advlsabilty OF laws to quarantine the con-
,uu,ptive invalid, II seoms rather q gratuitous
oucstion to ask II consumption Is contagious.
or conrse II is contagious. The proof Is over
Uhc,,ning Men OF the highest scientific and
technical skill in all civilized countries have for
Years proved by direct experiments upon ami
mails and from statistics collected In the study
oimankind. that the germ from the dried sputum
ofcorsumptiveS, of waited about in the air to be
inha,oi with the dust, or taken In glass of
milk. is capable of giving person consumption.
The records show 1t to be most frequent and
deadly discrse: one person in every eight dies OF
a., Take 333 people In any city and before tho
year runs out one OF them will succumb to this
,couryc Of the human race The story is the
same from the tropical heat OF the equator to
tho cold and frozen north; where people live,
there consumption lives also, and claims It's vic
tins from the mud hut of the peasant up to the
p,lacc of the rich, with an impartial and relcnt.
less certainty year aftcr year.
The suffering, the crippled lives. tho desolnto
homes caused by this ono disease through tho
length and breadth OF our land, are fearful for
one TO contemplate; and it is no wonder that sci.
entiar men are urging to the utmost any and
every drastic measure that will control its
sprcad and strmp II out before its extension be-
comcs a voritablc plague to dccimate the race.
Is there no escaped Arc there no people, is
there no race or climate whore this awful de-
stroying angel. tuberculosis. is not foundi
To answer this question one has to turn to
climaoloSy, or the study of climate and its effect
on mankind. 1t has long hccn known that the
races inhahiting country several thousand feet
above the level OF the sea suffer less from con-
sumption than any others. In the high wales of
the Andes Il is almost unknown disease. The
same irm mtn:ty has been found to exist in races
living on the high plateaus OF tho African conti
nent. and the Swiss mountaineers rarely show
anyevidencc Of this disease among them. To come
nearer home, In our own country. throughout
the high dry, plateau extending east OF the Rocky
Mountains. through New Mexico. Arizona.
Utah. Colorado. Wyoming. &C. 1t was observed
by the earlier explorers and settlers that con-
sumption practically unknown. Now that
all OF this region is becoming rapidly settled
having even cities Of fair size, how does it's ex-
ceptionnl freedom from this disease hold out :
Is this strip Of non tubercular country becoming.
like all the rest OF the world. infected Or does
the subtle influence OF its dry air. sunshine and
porous soil give TO Its fortunate inhabitants, as
In the past. an absolute protection from this
great man-destroyer. consumption
II there is such favored country. let 1t be
known to all. Tho existence of n natural sani-
tarium such this. miles and miles Of country
bsthed in sunshine and pure air. without man
kinds wors. enemy lurking In every corner
.l--A
should be shouted from the housetops in every
city. town. or village over our great ,c"rtry. in
which one life in ever; 1913 is lost every year
from a contagious and preventable disease.
That consumption will be stamped out by the
vigorous action now being taken against 1t, no
one can doubt; but unfortunately, before that
Utopian. non-tubercular era arrives. countless
lives will still be sacrificed. cs contagion Is
controlled slowly and with great effort. and for
years it will be losing battle. While this is
being fought step by STEP thousands Of children
arc born. children who are weakened by an in
herited taint. which is like spark in powder
magazine. One pun Of air comes. and their
poorly resisting bodies are all aiame with tuber-
cular fire. fire smouldering unseen from birth.
country then. in which life can be saved, an
II Dorado, not Of gold. but Of health, a country
right here in the United States. well called 'our
natural sanitarium. where to catch consump-
ton is next door to impossible. and where even
those said to be hopelessly Ill with the disease
recover, is a country of such sort that one
needs to offer no apology for presenting its mer-
Its 10 the whole world. at once and with all the
force one can
This is not n question of a single section or a
boom in corner lots, or even the seductive and
illusive gold and silver mines; Il Is a question
Of a nations health. and deals with a piece Of
land as Jig as Europe, in all parts Of which the
climate offers the same protection and cure-a
cure that has stood the test Of years, and is, as
shown from carefully compiled statistics, moro
effective in the greatest number of cases than
any climate cure ever studied.
There has been, however. for some time, espe-
eialy in the Eastern cities, considerable alarm
expressed about coming to this practically nom
tubercuar belt for fear that in its towns filed
with consumptive invalids there is great danger
o' contracting the disease. This impression is
very strong. is constantly gaining ground. and
even doctors are warning their patients not to
come to Colorado for that reason. The news
papers have taken it UP. and several articles
have appeared one in the New York Erenin0
Post' which was largely copied denouncing Col
Gsna springs plrgue SPOT and painting the
IN the most vivid end glowing colors. This arti-
n rie Vas no doubt, regarded as true by many
people. Gs u received wide publicity by
the papers all over the country. and, as far as
Know. was never denied; so that It probably has
oeSn accepted by the average reader as correct.
VOW, al ilrst sight. and without positive
snnoWedne 10 guide one II cannot be denied that
m greatest danger from infection must exist
Mnete lhcre are the great est number of cOnsump-
yves we, 70 communicate he disease. Other things
oeihg equal It would be so. But other things
sIe not equal at least in Colorado. and In places
SnI ~Isn = similar climate, as the factor climate
solnes IN That makes all the difference. and IL
,s. ss 70 ueermine practically this difference be-
Sf mesn other climates and the climate OF Colora-
st,,ia, Isi LOT some years | have been collecting
,i,hsles ihhsles and making experiments. so Ms to take
i,.a iIYul reserve all the evidence that presented
,,as W established beyond doubt that consump-
y Sh SSVa u communicated from the sick to the well
Snsiss ~ sIpect9ratcd matter when 1t becomes dry
l VIII drawn into the lungs in tho form OF dust.
tbhaaVlew TO ascertaning how communicable
S,uwnease is In this climate, have for a num-
ssrI IearS made careful study OF the dust and
sS,ah ssemsh the air in Colorado Springs and the
dspsSCaadlnE country. The air has been enalyzed
f5;,s sna night. indoors and out. II was found by
sIsss,te Ise apartments that the air all over this
ma Sea Na, region. on the prairies, the foothills
snS nigh mountains, was quite free from
ny seinls IN the town itself there was the
ofiihtash number OF germs common to any place
tbstSissi,ze, si,ze, Increasing in regular ratio from
sstisd dniy settle portions to tho more thickly