The Tucson citizen., 1902-05-17

custom to sleep out of doors from the
middle of May until September, and
many las the writer) sleep out during
the whole year. 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
lures and wounds heal very rapidly;
contagious diseases are usually very
mid. There has been no epidemic, ex-
cept IN whooping cough, for years.
he winter months, from the middle
OF September to the first of May, are in
TINS locality the finest in the world. One
bright sunshiny day succeeds another;
the nights are cool and exhiarating; the
whole country green with the richest
verdue and the brightest flowers. Truly
1t is JOY to live.
AT present have never known a 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, Surgeon
OF the Southern Pacific K. R., says
Tucson is a city of 1O, 900 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 $50 respectively. The rainfall
is small and but little irrigation is car
red 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.
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-
ary phthiss, 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- |
uousiy in the open air for period of sew |
eral months, or, for that matter, for a |
year, or several years, climate is re-
quired which is continuously warm and
dry. Such n climate the United States
does not possess, but the nearest ap-
proach to it is Arizona.
Physicians rara'v send their pa'' '-nts |
to the arid -egions curing s-en=ier nd
this | consider a great -=-istake. Ahs |
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 il 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 .,
the Atlantic coast, and many of the best |
physicians in California regularly send
their tubercular aud asthmatic patients
to Tucson. California is a beautifui
country. but the fogs which come in
rom the sea, and the einanations from
the vast irrigated regions, make it far
inferior to the inland desert regions for
phthisical patients. think it may be !
assumed as general rule that wher |
ever there is irrigation there is high |
degree of relative humidity, andpatients |
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 ~ 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 moderate winter climate
and such a 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 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 1900 feet. The altitude OF
Tucson is 2, 400 feet. and that seems to
be amply high for all but the most cx-
ceptional cases. The city 10 situated in
a basin near the underground Santa
= Tu2 fiVeT. AZ - SoHhaStSAy W0bNO Az
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 aiti-
tude of 5000 feet at least. Mount lie.
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 11,O00
| feet.
1.-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
| tune, inclusive, 1S94-5, 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 midd ay
| and with the unaided eye, have seen
Venus when it was hut ten degrees east
of the SUM-"
DR.. N, II. Matas, a Physician OF III