Arizona republican., 1902-03-23
AN EARLY FRIEND
 0f THE VALLEY
pr. j. B. Murphy, the Emi- nent Surgeon of Chicago
He Learned of the Curative Effect of the Climate Twelve Years AgoAA Talk By Him Yesterday on the Subject of Lung Diseases.


 coast after visit of three days with Dr. R. w. Craig. who was his assist ant for four years.
 Dr. Murphy has done more to make the Salt River valley known as a health resort than any other man; more than any other agency. Though ne was never in the valley until last Wednesday, he has been sending pa tients here for years.
 In the course of a conversat ton with a reporter for The Republican yester- day afternoon he said, II believe the Salt River valley is the greatest health resort in the world. My attention was first directed to it by an Englishman more than twelve years ago. He had lived here for some time and was very intelligent gentleman, so that he was able to give me correct descrip tion of the climatic conditions of the valley. I made further inquiry and sent d few patients who were suffering of lung trouble. The result justified the opinion I had formed of the valley and l sent others. l suppose l have sent twice as many patients as any other physician in the east. I do not pretend to say that any particular climate is better than another for per sons having lung trouble, but there can be no better climate for them than this. l know that by the results. You can not get away from results. They are better than theories. We do not care so much to know why this climate cures lung diseases as to know that it does cure them.
 This is place for a great national sanitarium. I do not mean that there should be great buildings, but that the gifts that nature has bestowed on the valley should be supplemented. A great deal of responsibility devolTes on the people of Phoenix. The best possi- ble accommodations should be afforded those who come here in ill health. There should be plenty of amusements for them and they should be able to buy r"oh food as they can get at home. They should be made to feel that they are at nome. Much of all this is lack ing now.
 The railroad connections are uE- favorable to Phoenix. If you had a trunk line Phoenix would soon become more .:ominent as a health resort than any other town on the coast. It would surpass Pasa- dena, which is now the best known
 Or. Murphy has for several years de- voted his attention exclusively to the practice of surgery. His medical prac- tice is confined to consultations, but there is no physician in the world more deeply interested in the study of tuber- culosis.
 T am an optinist on the subject of the effect of climate on lung trouble, ." said he. The climate here is better
 
 air is any purer, but because the aIti- tude is not so great. It is better than that of California or any other region in the country because of the slightness of humidity. Another great advantage the sick enjoy here is the ability to get vegetables at all seasons of the year and the best milk that can be found anywhere. You cannot get these things at many health resorts"
 Dr. Murphy spoke of the mistakes that most consumptives make in the manner of their living Said he: Tt is popular error to believe that per sons suffering from weak lungs should take plenty of exercise. On the con- trary they should take none at all or as little as possible. If one has a sore foot he does not walk on ,l or exercise it to make it strong. If he has a broken knuckle he does not move the knuckle but he keeps his finger strengthened that there may be no movement of it. So it should be in the case of a sore lung. Nothing should be done to excite it to activity. In state of rest there is an exchange of air of about 200 cubic inches. In a condition of acti- witty the exchange increases to from 1,200 to 1,600 cubic inches. That in crease cannot be beneficial to sore or weak lungs.'
 The doctor is pleased with the town as well as the climate. During his stay here he was kept buster than he would have been if he had remained at home for there are scores of invalids here sent by him and when they heard that he was in town they called upon him or sent for him.
 To laymen pr. Murphy is better known as the inventor of the famous Murphy button, which has saved thou sands of lives and is now used in sur gery all over the world. About 10000 are used annually. The button is a metal contrivance in two parts. Both parts are perfora ted to admit the pass age of liquid through the intestine. In case of the cutting or the perforation of an intestine part of the button :s put into each end, which is secured to it and then the parts of the button are buckled or pushed together tightly. The button is wholly within the intestine By the time the joined parts of the .n testine have grown together the ends in the grasp of the button have sloughed off and the button is dis charged.
 It may be interesting to know that the inventor has never derived any financial benefit from his invention. He is in no way connected with the manu fracture of them, but he buys those he uses in his practice the same as any other surgeon has to do.
 But with the scientific world Dr. Murphy's fame does not rest on the button. He was known throughout Europe and America before the button was invented and he was everywhere