The Tucson citizen., 1902-03-29

in the whole year but the most delicate
invalid can spend part of the day, at
least, out of doors. In this climate in
iuries and wounds heal very rapidly;
contagious diseases are usually very
mild. There has been no epidemic, ex.
cept in whooping cough, for years.
"The winter months. from the middle
of September to the first of May, are in
this locality the finest in the world. One
bright sunshiny day succeeds another:
the nights are cool and exhilarating; the
whole country green with the richest
verdue and the brightest flowers. Truly
it is a joy to live.
AT present have never known per-
son coming to this Territory in the early
stages OF pulmonary disease andlocating
in the altitude suited to their particular
case that did not get well; nor have |
known of one in the second stage that
did not improve. But cannot refrain
from raising my voice against the out
rage of sending advanced cases to this
or other sections to die among strang.
ers."
DR.. Fl. w. Fenner, of Tucson, Surgeoii
of the Southern Pacific X. r., says
Tucson is a city of 200 inhabitants,
on the main line of the Southern Pacific
Railway, altitude 2, 400 feet above the
sea level. Tucson is one of the oldest
settlements made by the Spanish con.
querors. 1t is now the commercial and
railroad center of Southern Arizona. The
climate is exceedingly dry and bracing,
the humidity being exceedingly low; the
yearly minimum and maximum being
26' and go rcspe. lively. The rainfall
is small and but little irrigation is car
ried on. The water supply is excellent.
The summers are long, the thermo ometer
ranges high, but the low degree ofhumid-
ity makes the clear warmth tolerable,
and the most healthful part of the year.
Sunstrokes and heat prostrations are
unknown. The climate of Tucson has
been found by experience to be particul.
arly beneficial to most cases of pulmon-
airy phthisis. especially those of the
earlier or prc-tnbercular periods.
DIR. Mark A. Rogers, of Tucson. says:
My experience has impressed upon
me the necessity for outdoor life in the
treatment OF pulmonary tuberculosis. In
order that the patient may live contin-
uously in the open air for period of sew
eral 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 ii is Arizona.
physicians rare'v send their pa "'>nts
to the arid -eg:ors i,xri5g fsxn=ser I'd
this ] consider a great --sstake. ihs
patients should be sent to the arid re
gions so soon as there 10 evidence of in.
fiction from the tubcrcle bacillus. and
should be made to remain there until
they are well. or until it 10 apparent that
the case Is hopeless.
MANY physicians in the east order /,
patients to California for the winteI,
apparently with a view Of sending them
TO q dry climate. The relative humidity
in southern California Is as great, and
III y. tie Instances greater. than that -
the Atlantic coast, ard many Of the best
PHYSICIANS in California regularly send
their tulgercular and asthmatiI patients
TO Tucson. California is a beautifu.
country, but the fogs which come IN
rom the sea, and the emanations from |
the vast irrigated regious, make it far |
Inferior to the inland desert regions for /!
phthisieal patients. think il may be |
assumed as a general rule that whcr.
ever there is irrigation there is high /.
degree of relative humidity. and pa tients /
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 60 together
The city ~ Tucson has. in my opin- |
ion, advantages as a health resort /
which can not he 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. II is no longer considered |
imperative TO send tuberculaT patients |
to an altitude of 5 1000 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 1000 feet. The altitude OF
Tucson 10 2, 400 feet. and that seems to
be amply high for all bat the most ex
ceptional cases. The city is situated IN
a basin near the underground Santa
Cruz river. 1t is completely walled in |
bv massive mountain ranges. To the |
north il 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 the Catalinas,
has an elevation of 10000 ieet, and
Mount Wrightson in the Santa Ritas.
reaches an altitude of nearly IL, ,000
feet.
The scenery at Tucson il rs impress
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 oi
the transparency Of the atmosphere may
be had when state that. at midday
and with the unaided eye, have seen
Venus when it was hut ten degrees east
of the SUM-"
DR.. N, II. Matas, Physician of II
years practice in this City, saws
"Since consumptives must depend ON the
resisting forces of nature for the cure OF