The Tucson citizen., 1902-03-13

HAiS WHonS ySTts AucLe arg not HNC uAyS
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
mid. 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
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
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 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. It, 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 560 espe,tivcly. The rainfall
is small and but little irrigation is car.
ried on. The water supply is excellent. |
The summers are long, the therm ometer
ranges high, but the low degree o4 4humd
lty makes the clear warmth tolerable,
and the most heaIthful 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.
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 period of sew |
eral months, or, for that matter, for |
year, or several years. a climate is re-
quired which is continuously warm and |
dry. Such a climate the United States |
does not possess, bft~ahc nearest ap- |
proach to it is Arizona.
Physicians rare'v send their pa; ;-nts
to the arid -eR:ccs :y,rirg :-m=e. I'D |
this | consider a great =.stake. his |
patients should be sent TO the arid re |
fle,-, . /NF
fiction from the tubcrcle bacillus. and |
should be made TO remain there until |
they are well, or until it is appa rent 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 dry climate. The relative humidity |
in southern California is as great, and |
in some instances greater, than that ot
the Atlantic coast, and many OF the best |
physicians in California regularly send |
their tubercular and asthnati> patients |
/ to Tucson. California is beautifu. |
| country. but the fogs which come in
/ rom the sea, and the emanations from
! the vast irrigated regions make il taI
! Inferior to tho inland desert regions for
/ phthisical patients think it may bt
assumed as a -,eneral 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 of Tucson has. in my opin
a han Il NYt
which can not be equalIcd anywhere iu
North America. know OF no locality |
where such moderate winter climate |
and such low degree OF relative humid |
ity are combined with tho 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 bt |
sent to an altitude or less, rather than
more than 1000 feet. The altitude OF
Tucson is 400 feet. and that seems 10 |
be amply high for all but the most ex
ccptional cases The city is situated ip |
basin near the underground Santa |
Cruz river. 1t is completely walled in |
by massive mountain ranges. To the |
north is the Santa Catalina range; to |
Santa Rita; and on the west, the Tue !
son. Each OF these ranges has an slti
tude OF 5000 feet at least. Mount lie
mon. the highest peak of the Catalinas,
has an elevation of 10000 teet, and
Mount Wrightson in the Santa Rftas.
reaches an altitude of nearly ,00G
feet.
"The scenery at Tucson is as 'impres-
sive as anywhere III 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 midd ay
and with the unaided eye, have seen
Venus when it was hut ten degrees east
of the sun"
DR.. n. II. Matas. Physician of II
wears practice i'll this City, says
''Since consumptives must depend on the
resisting forces of nature tor the cure OF
their disease, it is evident that an early
selection of a good winter climate is the