Arizona daily citizen., 1901-10-21

The summers are long the thermonetc
ranges high, but the low degree ofhumId
ity makes the clear warmth tolerable
and thr most hcalthtul part OF the year
Suustrokcs aud heat prostrations ar
unknown The climate of Tucson ha
been found by experience to be particul
arly beneficial to most cases OF pulmOn
AIRY phthisis, especially those of tn,
earlier or prc-tubercular periods.
Dr Mark A. Rogers, of Tucson, says:
My experience has impressed upof
me the necessity for outdoor life III th'
treatment Of pulmonary tuberculosis. II
order that the patient may live contIn
uously in the open air for "A period ofsev
cral months, or, for that matter, for q
year, or several years, climate is re
quircd which is continuously warm and
dry. Such n climate the United States
does not possess. but the nearest ap
rroach to IT ~ Arizona.
"Physicians rarelv send heir pa "nts
to the arid -eg.Ors .urirg Kn=er I'd
this ! consider great -@istaKe. 4he
patients should be sent tn the arid re
r1ous so soon AS there is evidence Of III.
icCtlon from the tuberCie bacillus, and
should be made To remain there until
they are well. or until it is apparent that
the case is hopeless.
MANY physicians in the east order
patients to California for the winter,
apparently with "A view OF sending them
to dry climate The relative humidity
IN southern California is as great, and
in some instances greater, than that ot
the Atlantic coast, and many OF the best
physicians in California regularly send
their tubercular and asthmatie patients
to Tucson. California is beautiful
, country. but the fogs which come III
rom the sea, and the emanations from
the yast irrigated regions, make il far
inferior to the inland desert regions for
/ phthisical patients. think it may be
assumed as a general rule that wher
ever there is irrigation there 10 high
degree ot relative humidity. and pa tients
suffering from pulmonary phthisis
should never he sent to an irrigated dis
/ trict. Indeed, some OF the California
physicians have declared that irrigation
and malaria go together.
The city of Tucson has. in my opin-
| ion, advantages as health resort
which can not be equalled anywhere in
/ North America. know of no locality
where such a moderate winter climate
and such low degree of relative humid
| lty are combined with the same latitu ude
aud altitude. 1t is no longer considered
| imperative to send tubercular patients
to IN altitude OF 6. 900 feet, or over. In
| fact, clinical experience has proven that
more frequently patients required to be
sent TO an altitude or less, rather than
more than 5000 feet. The altitude OF
Tucson is Z, 400 feet. and that seems to
be amply high for all but the most ex-
ceptionai cases. The city is situated in
a basin near the underground Santa
Cruz river. Ii is completely walled in
bv massive mountain ranges. To the
north is the Santa Catalina range; to
the east. the Rincon, To the south, the
Santa Rita, and on the west, the Tue
son. Each of these rnuges has an alti-
| tude oi 5000 feet at least. Mount 1,e-
mon. The highest peak of the Catalinas.
! has an elevation of 10. 900 feet, and
| Mount Wrightson in the Santa Ritas,
| reaches an altitude OF nearly / ,000
feet
The scenery at Tucson is as impres-
sive as anywhere in the Rocky noun
tains. and the gorgeous sunrise and sun
set beggar description.
During the nine months. October to
June. inclusive. 1S94-5. there were but
twenty-five cloudy days, and nine OF
these were in one month. Some idea OF
the transparency of the atmosphere may
be had when state that, at midday,
and with the uhaided eye, have seen
Venus when 1t was but ten degrees east
O; the sun"
DR.. n, II. Matas, a Physician of II
aIx
Since consumptives must depend on the
resisting forces Of nature for the cure o
their disease, it is evident that an early
selection OF good winter climate is the
most important factor for their cure and
future welfare.
They need warm, dry climate in
winter. free from fogs, heavy irosts.
storms, chilling winds and sudden 1t
mospheric changes, a climate where
there is constant sunshine and plenty
Of pure air, and where they can have
outdoor exercise daily. Treatment as
well as climate must be undertaken
early TO do good when there is yet a
good foundation upon which to build
the system. We must remember that
nature alone cures, and where there is
no nature there is no hope. Physicians
and climate can only help nature, and
they can do no good when nature is
destroyed.
"The official weather reports and sur
yeyors of the United States, as well ns
the scientific climat atologists, admit that
Tucson is the center Of the most favor
able zone in the southwest for the I'M
provemcnt and maintenance of life OF
consumptives i'll the United States, il
not i'll the world
Dir. w. II. Purcell, County Physician,
Observes. 1T is an undisputed fact that
proper climatic conditions give the
greatest relief TO those affected with or
having tendency to phthisis.
when "A phthisicai tendency exists
great care should be exercised to prevent
its development. As humidity is such an
important factor in the cause of COM
sumption, those affected with or having
a pretlisposition to lung disease should
immediately seek the proper climate fav-
orable TO their condition.
"'rhc climate of Colorado has been re-
commended for its beneficial effects for
consumption; my long residence there
gave me ample and sufficient opport-
unity OF Judging climatic conditions
there existing during the summer months
The mountainous portions of Colorado
undoubtedly have beneficial effect on
tuberculosis subjects, but cannot re-
commend Colorado during the fall and
winter. as the changes are often severe,
becoming raw and cold within few