The Tucson citizen., 1902-07-09

the whole yer. There are not FIVE days
IN the whole year but the most delicate
lavalid 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
verdne and the brightest flowers. Truly
it is a JOY to live.
"At present have never known a per
son coming to this Territory in the early
stages OF pulmonary disease andiocating
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, Surgeon
of the Southern Pacific X. r., says
Tucson is city of 10, 900 inhabitants,
on the main line of the Southern Pacific
Railway, altitude 2,+00 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 56' respectively. The rainfall
is small and but little irrigation is car
ried on. The water supply is excellent
The summers are long, the thermometer
ranges high, but the low degree OF fhumid
ity makes the clear warmth tolerable,
aud the most healthfui 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 pulfnou-
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 a period of sew
erai months. or. for that matter, for
year, or several years, a climate Ii re-
quired which is continuously warm and
dry. Such a climate the United States
does not possess. bat the nearest ap-
proach to it IS Arizona.
Physicians rareiv send their paints
70 the arid -sgiors cKtri5g s-n-5er nd
this | consider a great -istake. ihs
patients should be sent 10 the ard re
gions so soon as there IL evidence OF su-
fiction from the tubercle bacillus. aud
should be made TO remain there until
they are well. or until il ,s apparent that
the case il 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 o.
the Atlantic coast. and many OF the best
physicians in California regularly send
their tuhercular and asthmatis patsents
to Tucson. California is a bcautifts.
country. but the fogs which come In
rom the sea, and the emanations from
the vast irrigated regious, make il lar
inferior TO the inland desert regions tor
phthtsical patients. think IT may lie
assumed as a general rule that wh her
ever there 10 irrigation there is high
degree OF relative humidity, and patients
suffering from pulmonary phthisis
should never be sent 20 an irrigated dis
trict. Indeed, sosne OF the California
phyeicians have declared that 'irriga ton
and malaria go together.
The city NJ Tucson has. in my opin-
ION. advantages as q health resort
which can not be equailed anywhere 10
North America. know of no locality
where such a moderate winter climate
and such q low degree of relative humid
ity are combined with the same la tis ade
and altitude. II Is no longer considered
imperative to send tuberculas patients
to an altitude OF 5000 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 but the most ex.
ceptioual cases. The city 10 situated IN
a basin near the underground Santa
Cruz river. 1t 10 completely walled III
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 Tue
son. Each Of these ranges has an alti-
tude of 6, 900 feet at least. Mount Le-
mon. the highest peak of the Catalinas,
has an elevation of 10000 feet. and
Mount Wrightson in the Santa Ritas.
reaches an altitude of nearly IL, ,o0o
feet.
"The scenery at Tucson is as impress
sive as anywhere in the Rocky noun
tains, and the gorgeous sunrise and sun
set beggar description.
During the nine months, October to
Iune, inclusive, 1S94-5. there were but
twenty-five cloudy days, and nine ei
these were in one rnonth. Some idea OF
the transparency of the atmosphere may
be had when state that. at midd ay
and with the unaided eye, have seen
Venus when it was but ten degrees east
Of the SUM-
DR.. n, II. Matas, a Physician OF II
years practice in this City says
"Since consumptives must depend on the
resisting forces of nature tor the cure OF
- Al.