Arizona daily citizen., 1901-01-19

order that the patient may live contin-
uously in the open air for a period of sev-
crai months, or, for that matter, for a
! year, or several years, a climate is re-
quired which is continuously warm and
dry. Such a climate the United States
does not possess, but the nearest ap-
proach to it is Arizona.
/ Physicians rarely send their patients
to the arid regions during summer, and
this / consider a great mistake. The
patients should be sent to the arid re-
gions SO soon as there is evidence OF i'll.
lection from the tubercle 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 view of sending them
to dry climate. The relative humidity
/ IN southern California is as great, and
IN some instances greater, than that OF
the Atlantic coast, and many of the best
physicians in California regularly send
their tub rcular and asthmatic patients
/ to Tucson. California is a beautiful
country, but the iogs which come in
from the sea, and the emanations from
the vast irrigated regions, make II far
inferior to the inland desert regions for
phthlsical patients. | think it may be
assumed as a general rule that wher-
ever there is irrigation there is high
degree of relative humidity, and patients
suffering from pulmonary phthisis
should never be sent to an irrigated dis
trict. Indeed, some OF the California
! physicians have declared that irrigation
and malaria go together
/ he city OF Tucson has. in my opin-
ion. advantages as a health resort
which can not be equalied anywhere in
North America. | know OF no locality
where such moderate winter climate
and such low degree of relative humid
Ity are combined with the same latitude
and altitude. 1t is no longer considered
imperative 70 send tubercuiar patients
/ to an altitude of 5 900 feet, or over. in
TACT, clinical experience has proven that
more frequently patients required to bc
I sent to an altitude or less, rather than
more than 5000 feet. The altitude of
Tucson is 2,400 feet. and that seems to
/ be amply high for all but the most ex-
! ccptional cases. The city is situated in
basin near the underground Santa
Cruz river. 1t is completely walled iu
| by 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 ranges has an slti,
tnde oi 5000 feet at least. Mount Le-
/ mon, the highest'peak of the CataIinas,
/ has an elevation of 10000 feet, and
Mount Wrightson in the Santa Ritas.
reaches an altitude of nearly IL ,0O0
feet.
( The scenery at Tucson is as impres-
siye as anywhere in the Rocky noun
tams, and the gorgeous sunrise a nd sun
. set beggar description.
/ During the nine months, October to
June, inclusive, lS94-5, there were but
! twenty-five cloudy days, and nine Of
these were in one month. Some idea o..
+ the transparency of the atmosphere may
/ be had when state that, at midday,
and with the unaided eye, have seen
| Venus when 1t was but ten degrees east
of the SUM-
DIR. n, II. Matas, Physician of II
years practice in this City, says
Since consumptives must depend on the
/ resisting forces OF nature for The cure oil
their disease, it is evident that an early
selection Of good winter climate is tht
most important factor for their cure ant
future welfare.
They need warm, dry climate il
winter, free from fogs, heavy frosts
storms. chilling winds and sudden at
niospheric changes, climate wher
there is constant sunshine and plent,
of pure sir, and where they can fav,
outdoor exercise daily. Treatment al
well as climate must be undertaken
early to do good when there is yet q
good foundation upon which to builc
! the system, We must remember that
nature alone cures. and where there i.
no nature there is no hope. Physician.
and climate can only help nature, and
/ they can do no good when nature is
/ destroyed.
I "The official wea thcr reports and sur
veyors of the United States, as we'll a.
] the scientific e,imatoiogists, admit thai
| Tucson is the center of the most favor
/ able zone in the southwest for the i'm
provcment AMI maintenance of life o
consunlptives in the United States, i
not in the world"
DIR. W. b. Purcell. County Physician
/ Observes;--"It is an unflispnted fact that
proper climatic conditions give tht
greatest rcliet to those affected with oI
! having tendency to phthisis.
When a phthisfcai tendency exists
/ great care should be exercised to preven,
its development. AS humidity is such an
! important factor in the cause of com.
sumption. those affected with or having
pretisposition to lung disease should
Immediately seek the proper climate fas.
orable TO their condition.
The climate of Colorado has been re-
commended for it's 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
hours, and as these are atmospheric con-
dftions to be avoided, it would not be
advisable to spend these seasons there.
Those having a peculiar type of consti-
tuition with hereditary tendency to
/ consumption would do well to avail
| themselves of an opportunity and come
here and remain exempt from disease.
1T is a fact that those born here oil
| tuberculosis parents seldom ever have
| the disease develop. SO long as they re.
main in this climate. 1t is my opinion
that there is no other section of tht
! United States which will compare favor
able with that in and about Tucson fol
the relief of pulmonary affections.
/ n r u raH 80. S...rn... r Az c ID