The Tucson citizen., 1902-05-02

|
the whole yer. 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.
1.-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 anotl er;
the nights are cool and exhilarating; he
whole country green with the richest
verdue and the brightest flowers. Truly
it is JOY to live.
AT present have never known a per-
son coming to this Territory in the early
stages OF pulmonary disease andlocating
III 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."
DIR. II. w. Fenner, of Tucson, Surgeon
of the Southern Pacific X. R., says
Tucson is a city of 10, 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
260 and $50 respe, lively. The rainfall
10 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 fhumid
ity makes the clear warmth tolerable,
and 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 pulmon-
airy phthisis. especially those of the
earlier or prc-tubercular periods.
DIR. 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 menths, or, for that matter, for a
year, or several years, q climate is re-
quired which is continuously warm and
dry. Such a climate the United States
does not possess, bat the nearest ap
proach to 1T 10 Arizona.
Physicians rareiv send their pa '-nts
to the arid -egsons sssri1g s-rn-1er nd
this ] consider a great -----istake. Aht
patients should be sent to the arid re
gions SO soon as there 10 evidence of in
lection from the tnbercle bacillus, and
should be made to remain there until
they are well, or until it 10 apparent that
the case is hopeless.
"Many physicians in the east order
patients to California for the wintef,
apparently with view Of sending them
to dry climate. The relative humidity
in southern California is as great, and
in some instances grea.sr than that .,
the Atlantic coast, and many Of the best
physicians in California regularly send
their tubercuiar and asthmatic patients
to Tucson. California 10 a beautiful.
country, but the fogs which come in
rom the sea, and the ernanations from
the vast irrigated regions, make it far
infcriof TO the inland desert regions for
phthisical patients. think it may be
assumed as a geneYal.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 ~ Tucson has. in my opiu.
| ion, advantages as a health resort
which can not be egualled 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 10 no longer considered
imperative to send tubcrcuiar patients
to an attitude of S. 600 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 5000 feet. The altitude oi
| Tucson is 2, 400 feet. and that seems to
| be amply high for all but the most cx-
ceptionai cases. The city is situated in
| a basin near the underground Santa
Cruz river. 1t is completely walled in
by massive mountain ranges. To the
north in the Santa Catalina range; to
the east, the Rincon; to the south, the
Santa Rita; and on the west, the Tuc-
son. Each of these ranges has an alti-
tude of 6, 900 feet at least. Mount Le-
mon. the highest peak of the Cataiinas,
has an elevation of 10000 feet, and
| Mount Wrightson in the Santa Ritas,
reaches an altitude of nearly 11,00G
feet.
"The scenery at Tucson is as inapres-
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 OF
these were in one month. Some idea OF
the transparency of the atmosphere may
be had when state that, at midday
and with the unaided eye, have seen
Venus when it was hut ten degrees east
of the sun."
DR.. N, H. Matas, a Physician OF II
years practice in this City, says
''Sinee conspmptiyes must depend on the
resist ting fofees ofnature tor the cure OF