The Tucson citizen., 1902-01-16

many las the writer sleep out during
the whole yePr. There are not five davs
III 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
thls 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
vcrdue and the brightest flowers. Truly
it is a JOY to live.
AT present | have never known per-
son coming TO this Territory III the early
stages OF pulmonary disease andlocating
in the altitude suited to their particular
case that did not get well; nor have I
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."
Or. II. w. Fenner, of Tucson, Surgeon
OF the Southern Pacific r. K, saws
Tucson is a city of 10000 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 Sc respectively. The rainfall
is small and but little irrigation is car
ried on. The water supply is excellent.
The summers are long. the therm ometer
ranges high, but the low degree OF humid
ity makes the clear warmth toierable.
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 particui-
arly beneficial TO most cases of puimon-
airy phthisis. especially those Of the
earlier or pre-tubercular periods.
Or. 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 ofse
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 paints
10 the avid -eg:oxls curing s.-en=er nd
this | consider a great --istake. Ihe
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 a 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 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 Of Tucson has, in my opiu-
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 tubercuiar patients
to an altitude of s. 900 feet, or over. Ia
fact, clinical experience has proven that
more frequently patients required to II
sent to an altitude or less, rather than
more than ZOO feet. The altitude of
Tucson is 2, 400 feet. and that seems n, #
be amply high for all but the most -
ceptional cases. The city is situated Ia
basin near the underground Sant1
Cruz river. 1t is completely walled ~
bv massive mountain ranges. "a th1
north is the Santa Catalina range; M
the east, the Rincon: to the sCuth,
Santa Rita; and on the weat, the q
son. Each of these ranges ha1 m III
tude of 5000 feet at least. Mou1a
mon. the highest peak of the Cata = q
has an elevation of 10000
Mount Wrightson in the SankM
reaches an altitude Of neax1Y
feet. Mi 81 SssE $50
1.-The scenery at Tucson h ~ = y y
sive as anywhere III the RoeI u y ss1
tains. and the gorgeous srnTi
set beggar descriptions.
During the nine n1ont ~ v y \
June, inclusive, 1S94-6 thel i<
twenty-five cloudy dAx1. 4 =
these were in one mont y I = a q
the transparency Of the - y "a
be had when fstat< = = 1
and with the unaide - i 16x6 r. {
Venus when Il yxn1f ftuk TN y IN r. 3 i
of the sun. , s