The Portland daily press., 1898-12-31
ON THE MAINE COAST.
Doctors Discuss tho Climate and its Re-
Iatton to Tuberculosis.

The following article Is taken from 1iis
Sanitary Inspector for the month of lie,
Gem Der, on the 'sClimatic Conditions OF
the Maine Coast and is from the RECORDS
of the annual meeting of the American
Chronological Association held in Wash
ington:
In the discussion which followed the
reading of paper by DR.. r. l. knight
of Boston. before the fourteenth annual
meeting of the American Cllmatological
Association in Washington, ID. O., DR.
Bowditch of Boston said: Another
pecnIiar characteristic of the Maine coast
is the often dry character of the fogs II
NAV at first seem misnomer to speak Of
a 'sdry fog, but any one who has been in
that region will understand what mean.
The light vapory mist which drives in
frequently from the sea has no definite
sense of moisture as it strikes the face.
an in the midst of 1t the air frequently
feels dry. Often have seen clothes hang
ing out and drying during such fogs.
They are in marked contrast to the
drenching fogs of he 'ssouth shore.
Again, on the coast of Maine, the south
west wind, which in Boston has debili-
tating, clustering, muggy qualify, is de-
licious in its cool, bracing, and even dry
quality, as it comes over the colder
waters of that shore. This is especially
noticeable on the islands along the coast
and the climate generally has more OF the
typical equabili,y of island climates. The
SHOWS in winter are not SO deep and 90
not last so long as on the mainland. In
the vicinity of Mount Desert the presence
of the mountains there has. doubtless. an
effect upon the quality of the atmosphere,
and would partly account for what Is
spoken of-the effect of sea and mountain
air combined. Its peculiar dryness, even
on the coast. has been often SO marked
that / have frequently thought that GER
tain phthisical patients. who need dry,
braciDg atmosphere, might improve there,
although I have never quite dared to
recommend it for such cases.
DR.. Babcock, of Chicago: What L was
especially struck with in the paper just
read was some Of the statements concern
ing the tonic and bracing climate OF
Maine There is no doubt of this, yet,
in thinking upon it. recall some statis-
tics given to us by one of the professors
when 1 was student He had found
tuberculosis most prevalent IN Maine and
adjoining states, and that it diminished
as one came southwark along the Atlantic
coast and southwest; and | wondered
why tuberculosis should be so prevalent
in Maine If the climate of the State was
SO tonic and bracing. concluded that 1t
must be due to the long win ters and COM
paratively short summers. and the conse-
quent inability of the inhabitantsto spend
much time In the open air; this brought
me the reflection that, II We are 70 send
tuberculosis patients away for the sum-
ner, or patients who have an hereditary
tendency to tuberculosis, we, or course
should send them to climates that are
stimulating and bracing, and where they
can remain in it for a great part OF the
time in the open air, otherwise no benent
will be derived. I think that this simply
emphasizes the truth of the principle that
it is life in the open air that cures our
tubercular patents and that, however nns
the climate, the conSumptiye Will not re-
cover unless he spends his time out OF
DOORS
DR.. Bowditch: When spoke of the
climate of Maine I was speaking OF Its
climate in summer, The tubercular dis
ease among the women of that State may
be accounted for largely, think, by bnel
habit of budding about air-tight stoves
in the long winters, and never going out.
As a matter of fact, the existence Oh
tuberculosis is very rare among the IN
habitants of the ISLANDS. Most OF tht
men lead hard tishermen's lives, exposed
to the ssyerest kinds of weather; but
tuberculosis, according to my observa
lions, is rare there.
DR.. Taylor: I, myself, am Maine man
in summer. l have locked up the subject
very carefully and found that, as mat
ter of fact, tuberculosis was very preya-
lent some years ago, and great many
people thereaWay died of it. but that is
now a matter OF past history. 1t is no
longer SO prevalent or deHdly. l think
that its prevalence was, in part at least
due to the insuffioiency of the food in
quantity, quality and preparation. Since
that time these conditions have astonisl-
inely improved. In my hunting trips
have seen quite good deal OF this sort
of thing, but it is now disappearing. Its
former prevalence, as DR.. Babcock has
said, was due to the inability of certain
class to spend much time IN the open air,
especially in bitterly cold winters. Inc
question of choice of a summer resi-
dence is an interesting one. Inc atlnos-
phere along the coast is not dry, only
relatively SO. The COAST linz of Maine is
enormous If all the indentations were
straightened out into one line, that line
would be 5000 miles long. Ii is true that
we have what are called dry fogs, during
which we can scarcely notice any damp
ness, although they obscure the view; tae
moisture of fogs varies exceedingly.
l have been studying the effect of an
ideal form of climate where we can get
an inland lake. near but somewhat re-
moved from the sea, because the climate
is likely to be a dry one. The air is less
subject to chilIs, and yet it has sea ele-
Inents. l have among my patents
good many Inconsistencies and also good
many persons who are suffering from
rheumatism OF its effects; and consid
cred the most perfect climate for them is
to be found in some such places as those
which have seen where they can get
peculiar com bjnation of sea and mountain
air on lake surrounded by conifers.
E DR.. Knight: The coast of New Eng
Iauu is lot to be recommended except In
summer and early autumn. Regarding
the prevalence of consumption, it does
not exist until introduced. No climate
can be more favorable for the spread of
pulmonary tuberculosis than that of Ice
land. They have none now, but 1t it
once gets fooshoId there 1t would make
fearful rayages. tuberculosis is dimin.
ishing among the native population OF
New England as in old England. The