The Portland daily press., 1899-12-08
SOUTH AFRICA's CLIMATE.
Il is One OF the HeaIshie.s I'm the
World.
Medical Record.l

tMeutoAl heCOrusl
The testimony with regard to the
hsalthfulnsss of South Afriua IL unani-
nous Its conflguration 10 peculiar and
strongly resembles q series Of steps. Ihs
coast plateau IL six hundred feet above
ssa Level; the Southern Karoo 10 twelve
hundred feet. the Central Karoo twenty
i've hundred feet, and this Northern Karoo
four thousand feet and upward. The
least healthy portion Of this region to
Europeans Is that bordering on the coast
"The Lancet" In . leading article tome
years ago. gave an interesting description
CT the climate Of South africa, which,
in view Of the events now In progress
there, IL may not be out Of place to quote:
In Cape Colony rain falls chiefly Ia the
winter months, the three hottest months,
January, February and March. being
almost rainlsss ct Caps Town. On the
east coast, however, at Durham for exam
pie, most rain falls In summer, and this
is also ihs rule In the Interior, where the
winters are usually dry and clear with
slight frost In some localities. The
Southern karoo presents decided oon-
trast to the coast plateau. The olimats
here IL, on the whole, dry, with consider
able oscillations OF temperature and .
greater contrast Of seasons. Tho hottest
month IL January, with mean mari
mum of 81 degrees ", aud the coolest Ia
July, with n mean minimum 30 degrees.
II. The winters are bright and clear
with cold nights, and snow lies for time
upon the mountains. The Northern
karoo, of which the elevation varies from
twenty eight hundred TO six thousand
feet, stretches to the Orange River ana
has an extremely dry climate, the rain
fall In some parts being % low rs two
inches, and the general average osin
about ten inches. On the whole, the
winter climate 10 very agreeable; clsar,
s sqp rSs In shs air. being very
The Trausvaal Is an elevated plateau
" nth u very healthy climate. Pretoria ID
at an elevation OF forty live hundred feet
above sea level. and Johannesburg OF
i've thousand feet above sea level. In
spite of this elevation the summer heat
in these places Is very great, and dust
storms are frequent. Malaria is common
In some parts Of the 1ransvaal during
the hot rainy season; nevertheless, the
climate In general must be pronounced
healthy and favorable to Europeans. +"
The climate Of South Africa "a whole
may be summed up In these words
Though the mean temperature OF tns
OF the greater portion Of Europe, owing
to the complete atssnce Of very cold
weather, the Thermometer, at least In the
cooler parts of the country, does not ex.
hibit higher rise than often occurs In
northern kurope."
The deductions to be drawn from the
fors going descriptions are that South
Africa is comparatively free from deadly
diseases, andithis is, indeed, the truth.
1t Is eaid to be one Of the few portions
OF the glote that have never been visited
by yellow fever or cholera, and many Of
the other pests Of the western world ars
unknown In this favored land. Low
levers occasionally prevail and there ara
also periodical epidemics OF smallpox md
measlss along the coaas. line, Invariably
impurted by calling ships. Ophthalmia
and rheumatic complaints In some por-
tions Of the country are more or less com
mon, hut may te avoided TO great ex.
tent with ordinary care. VI course In
the case OF an army operating in the field
there are certain maladies which are diff
cult and In soue instances impossible 70
escape, such as enteIi, fever. diarrhoes,
and dysentery. To make comparison
with the dangers fro m disease threaten.
Ing the British arm. In South Africa and
those with which our forces in Cuba had
to fight, 1t Is ind'sputa Die that the lot Of
the British soldier Is in this respect great
ly bett or than was the American.