Arizona daily citizen., 1901-03-28

uouSlY III the open air tor per1Ou Oh SeV-
eral months, or, for that matter, for a
year, or several years, 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 rarelv send their pa 'nts
to the arid -eg;ons caring :-en=1ez I'd
this l consider a great .Eistake. he
patients should be sent to the arid re
gions so soon as there is evidence of IN
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 a 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 .ubsrcular and asthmatic patients
to Tucson. California is n beautiful
country, but the fogs which come in
from the sea, and the emanations from
the vas, irrigated regions, make 1t tar
interior 10 the inland desert regions for
phthisical patients. think it may be
assumed as u 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
THE city of Tucson has. in my opin-
ion, advantages as a 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
ity are combined with the same latitude
and altitude. 1t is no longer considered
imperative to send tuberculaI patients
to an altitude of 5000 feet, or over. In
fact, clinical experience has proven that
more frequently patients required to bc
sent to an altitude or less, rather than
more than 3 900 feet. The altitude OF
Tucson is 2 400 feet, and that seems to
be amply high for all but the most ex-
ceptional cases. The city is situated in
basin near the underground Santa
Cruz river. 1t is completely walled in
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 alti-
tude of S 900 feet at least. Mount Le-
mon, the highest peak of tine Catalinas,
has an elevation of 10000 feet, = and
Mount Wrightson III the Santa Ritas,
reaches an altitude of nearly IL ,000
feet.
"The scenery at Tucson is as unpres-
sive as anywhere i'll the Rocky noun
tains and the gorgeous sunrise and sun
set beggar description.
During the nine months, October to
June, inclusive, 1894-5, 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 unaided eye, have seen
Venus when it was but ten degrees east
of the sum-"
DIR. N, H. Matas, Physician of II
years practice in this City. says
Since consumptives must depend on the
resisting forces of nature for the cure of
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 iu
winter, free from fogs, heavy frosts,
storms, chilling winds and sudden at
nfosphetic changes, climate where
there is constant sunshine aud 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 NJ ture and
they can do no good when nature is
destroyed.
"The official weather reports and sur
veyors of the United States, as well as
the scientific climatolo2ists, admit that
Tucson is the center of the most favor.
able zone in the southwest for the i'm.
provchlent and maintenance of life OF
consumptives in the United States, if
not in the world"
DIR. W. B. Purcell, County Physician,
Observcs:-"It is an rndisputed fact that
proper climatic conditions give the
greatest relief to those affected with or
having tendency to phthlsis.
when a phthisical 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
predisposition to lung disease should
immediately seek the proper climate tav-
orabe to their condition.