The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-12-10
THE CLIMATE OF SOUTH AFRICA.
A Good One for Military Operations
and One of the HeaIthiest in the
World,
From the Medical Record.

From the Medical Record.
The climate of South Africa is freely ac-
knowledged to be one of the healthiest in
the world. The saying that IN war pes
thence and disease are far more to be
dreaded and claim an infinitely larger pro-
portion of victims than weapons of des-
truction has been made and proved so
many times as to have become a some
what wearisome truism. The fight be-
tween the British and the Beers has been
up 10 the present marked by terrible loss
of life, and will before the end comes re-
suit in still further slaughter, but in all
probability disease win not add 1t Gus
tomary quota of human sacrifice. This
prediction is based upon the well-known
salubrity of the South African climate,
which is perhaps as inimical 10 the germs
Of disease as any upon earth The test-
mony with regard TO the healthfulness of
South Africa is unanimous Its condgur-
alton is peculiar and strongly resembles
a series of steps. The coast plateau is
six hundred feet above sea level the
southern Karoo is twelve hundred feet
the central Karoo two thousand five
hundred feet, and the northern Karoo
four thousand feet and upward. The least
healthy portion of this region to Euro
peans is that bordering on the coast. The
Lancet. in leading article some few
years ago, gave an interesting description
of 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 in the win
ter months, the three hottest months jan
uary, February and March, being almost
rainless at Cape Town. On the east coast
however at Durham for example. most
rain falls in summer, and this is also the
rule in the interisr, where the winters are
usually dry and clear with slight frost in
some localities. The southern karoo pre-
sents a decided contrast 10 the coast
plateau. The climate here is, on the
whole, dry with considerable oscillations
of temperature with greater contrast of
seasons. The hottest month is January
with mean maximum Of 81 degrees Fab
renheit, and the coolest month is July.
with a mean minimum of So degrees Fab
henheit. 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 two
thousand eight hundred to six thousand
feet stretches to the Orange river and has
an extremely dry climate, the rainfall I'm
some parts being as low as two inches.
and the general average being about ten
inches. on the whole, the winter climate
is very agreeable; clear sunny, bracing
days with just touch of frost in the air
being frequent.
The Transyaal is an elevated plateau
with very healthy climate. Pretoria is
at an elevation of 400 feet above sea level.
and Johannesburg of 5000 feet above sea
level, In spite of this elevation the sum-
mer heat IN these places is very great
and dust storms are frequent Malaria
IS common in some parts of the Transvaal
during the hot rainy season; nevertheless
the climate in general must be pronounc-
cd healthy and favorable to Europeans"
The climate Of South Africa as whole
may be summed up in these words:
Though the mean temperature Of the
south African climate is higher than that
* the greater portion OF Europe, owing