The Tucson citizen., 1902-07-08

incDTldCSu at the time. III Is uncommon
custom to sleep out of doors from the
middle If May until September. and
many (as the writer) sleep out during
the whole ye9r. 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
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 celebrating; the
whole country green with the richest
verdue and the brightest flowers. Truly
it is jov 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.. H. ". Fenner, of Tucson, Surgeon
of the Southern Pacific r. r., says
Tucson is a city of 10, 900 inhabitants,
on the main line Of the Southern Pacific
Railway, altitude 2.4O0 feet above the
sea level. Tucson is one of the Oldest
settlements male BY the Spanish con-
querors. 1t is now the commercial and
raIlro RI Ca,1tar C, Ar,x The
climate is exceedingly dry and bracing,
the humidity being exceedingly low; the
yearly minimum and maximum being
260 and So 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 humid
ity makes the clear warmth tolerabic,
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 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 eontin-
uously IN the open AIR for a period of sew
eral months, or, for that matter. for q
year. or several years. a climate is re-
quIrcd which is continuously warm and
drv. Such a climate the United States
does not possess. but the nearest ap-
proach TO II is Arizona.
oph,xt~,a.s -..rai., a...A .Ln.x ,.aas~.sa
to the arid -e4.ons .mrI1g s-m=e- I'D
this | consider IA great --sstake. h.
patients should be sent 10 the ard re
gions so soon as there is evidence oi 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 in hopeless.
MANY physicians in the east order
patients 20 California Tor the winter
apparently with "a view OF sending them
to a dry climate The relative humidity
IN southern Calisornia 10 as great. and
in some Instances greater. than that y.
the Atlantic coast. and many of the beS;
physicians in California regularly send
their suberCular and axthmatie patients
to Tncson. California is a beautifu.
country. but the fogs which come in
rom the sea, and the emanatIous frorn
the vast irrigated regions, make /, sar
inferior to the inland desert regions 10,
phthiSical patients. think IL naay bc
assumed as a general rule that WiseT- !
ever there 10 irrigation there is a high
degree OF relative humidity. and patients !
suffering from pulmonary phthisis
should never bc sent to an irrigated dis
trict. Indeed, some OF the California
physicians have declared that irrigation
and malaria go ,ogethsr
The city OF Tucson has, in my opin. |
ion. advantages as health resort
which can not be eqnalled anywhere in
North America. know of no lorai,t,
where such moderate winter climate
and such low degree of relative humid
ity are combined with the same latitude
and altitude. II 10 no longer considered
impera tive to send tubercuiaT patients
tn an altitude OF 5000 seet. or over. In |
fact. clinical experience has proven that |
more frequently patients required TO he |
sent TO an altitude or less, rather than |
more than 5000 feet. The altitude OF |
Tucson is .. 400 feet. and that seems to |
be amply high for all but the most CT. |
ceptionai cases. The city is situated in
basin near the underground Santa !
Cruz river. II is completely walled in J
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 s. 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 II, ,o0e |
feet.
THE scenery at Tucson is as imprcs- |
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, 1S9+-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-"