The Tucson citizen., 1902-01-27

many tas 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
iuries and wounds heal very rapidly;
contagious diseases are usually very
mild. There has been no epidemic, ex-
ecpt IN whooplug cough, ior years.
The winter months, from the middle
ot September tO the first of Nav, are in
this locality the finest in the world. One
bright sunshiny day succeeds another:
the nights are cool aud exhilarating the
whole country green with the richest
verdue and the brightest flowers. Truly
it is Joy to live.
"At present ! have never known per
son coming 10 this Territory in the early
stages OF pulmonary disease and locating
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. W. Fenner, of Tucson, Surgeon
of the Southern Pacific K. r., says
Tucson is a city of 10, 900 habitants,
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
260 and Sc respe, lively. 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.
Sunstrokes and heat prostrations are
unknown. The climate of Tucson has
been found bv experience to be particul-
arly beneficial TO most cases of pulmou-
AIRY phthisis. especially those of the
earlier or pre-tubercular periods.
DR.. Mark A. Rogers. of Tucson, saws:
! 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 ofsev-
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 APP
proach to it Is Arizona
Physicians rare'v send their paints
TO the and -eGicas tHtt1-g :-en-7er nd
tins | consider a great -sstake. 1he
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 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 asthmatie patients
to Tucson. California is 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. 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 of Tucson has. in my opin-
ion, advantages as 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 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 is 2,40O feet. and that seems to
be amply high for all but the most ex-
ceptional cases. The city is situated in
basin near the underground Santa
Cruz river. 1t is completely walled ia
bv massive mountain ranges. To the
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 IN elevation OF 10000 feet, and
Mount Wrightson in the Santa Ritas,
reaches an altitude of nearly 11,000
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, OctcbE 10
June, inclusive, 1S94-6, there were hut
twenty-five cloudy days, and nine 81
these were ia one month. SQnne ideA III
the transparency of the atrnoephere nay
be had when + STATE that, ak midday
and with the unaided eye, have accl
vsIsus when 4 Uas hat tsn degrs1a 60
of the sun.