The Tucson citizen., 1902-02-01

many tas the writer sleep out during
the whole yePT. There are not FIVE days
IN the whole year but the most delicate
invalid can spend part of the day, at
least, out OF doors. In this climate in
iur.cs 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 70 the first OF May, are in
this locality the finest III the world One
bright sunshiny day succeeds another;
the nights are cool and exhlarating: the
whole country green with the richest
verdue and the brightest flowers. Truly
II Is a Joy to live.
"At present have never known per-
son coming to this Territory III the early
stages oi 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."
DIR. II. w. Fenncr, of Tucson. Surgeon
OF the Southern Pacific K. K, says
Tucson is a city of 10, 900 inhabitants,
on the main line of the Southern Pacific
Railway, altitude 2,4Oo feet above the
sea level. Tucson is one of the oldest
settlements made by the Spanish con-
quevors. Ii 10 now the commercial and
railroad center of Southern Arizona. The
climate is exceedingly dry and braciug,
/ he humidity la,xy. h.
yearly minimum and maximum being
26' and So Spe,tively. The rainfall
is small and but little irrigation is car
ned on. The water supply is excellent.
The summers are long. the thermometer
ranges high, but the low degree ofhumId-
ity makes the clear warmth tolerable,
and the most healthful part of the year.
Sunstrokcs and heat prostrations are
, unknown. The climate OF Tucson has
been found bv experience TO be particul-
arly beneficial to most cases of pulnon-
AIRY phthisis. especially those of the
earlier or pre-tubercular periods.
Dr. 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 il is Arizona.
Physicians rar<'v send their pa;
TO the arid -eZ:crs Cctriag :-cn=e: I'D
! this ! consider a great ---4stake. 4he
patients should be sent to the arid re-
gions SO soon as there is evidence of in
fiction 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 tubercular and asthmatic patients
to Tucson. California is a beautiful
country. but the fogs which come in
| rom the sea, and the emanations from
the vast irrigated regions, make it 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 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 nf Tucson has. in my opin.
ion, advantages as a health resort
| !, hsA lad
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 tubercuiar patients
to an altitude of S. 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 Z, ZOO 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
a basin near the underground Santa
Cruz river. 1t is completely walled ia
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 Tnc-
son. Each OF these ranges has an aitl-
tude of 5000 feet at least. Mount Le-
mon. the highest peak of the Cataiinas,
has an elevation of 10000 1ect, and
Mount Wrightson in the Santa RitAs,
reaches an altitude of nearly 1soo0
feet.
1.-THE scenery at Tucson i As impres-
sive as anywhere in the Rocky nie4n-.
tains. and the gorgeous sunrise snd sri1-
set beggar description.
During the nine months, October "a
June, inclusive, 1S94-6, there were hut
twenty-five cloudy days, and Mint q.
these were in. one month. SQtne idea of
the Transparency of the Atn16 ers lIle5
be had when Iskate N1aty nt 1nijlSlnys B
and with the unaided ~, have reG
Il vcnna when Il was hnt ten a6&
Of the sun. "