Albuquerque daily citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1895-1903, 1903-06-12
sprcial Correspondence.

of the Review OF Reviews the series OF
articles entitled New Hopes for Con-
sumptives.' and | note that one of
the able contributions seem to under
stand the real nature and character OF
the arid west. and its great advantages
in the relief and cure of consumptives
and | have thought that it might be
of interest to your thousands of intel
ligent readers to know something of
this wonderful life saving climate, and
the practical results which | have OBJ
served for the last twenty years. I
also notice that there is considerable
being said in the popular magazines
and other periodicals about a national
sanitarium for consumptives. and |
have also thought it would be IN item
of important news to your readers TO
learn hat such an institution was
about to be established in southwest
ern New Mexico. hence l will give you
a condensed outline of the palms and
purposes of this semi-national colony
and sanitarium for the treatment and
cure Of this terrible disease, and which
is fully set out in literature mailed to
you this day under separate cover.
The official reports of the government
military sanitarium, located at Fort
Bayard, fifty miles north of this place
will fully verify all | claim in this ar
ticle. This government institution is
doing a great work and curing a large
percentage of all the military patients
sent there; but it is only the soldiers
and sailors that are benefited no
citizens being allowed. The national
colony and sanitarium for consump-
tives have organized their association
upon the same basis and plans of the
government sanitarium, but pom an
immense scale, where they can care
for this class of sufferers by the thou
sands and tens Of thousands. This
institution is located IL the hc-Utiful
Mimbres valley, surrounded by small
picturesque mountains, with an alti-
tude of forty-three hundred feet, a
mild wen climate, average tempera-
ture of SO, bright sunshine 800 days
in the year, cool, pleasant nights all
the year round; pure, dry air, and an
underground river of pure water which
can be tapped at from twenty to fifty
feet depth anywhere in this valley
within fifty miles square, and sufi-
eient water obtained cheaply for all
domestic purposes, as well as for the
irrigation of any small plots of ground
for gardens. lawns, vineyards. or
chards, etc. The average rainfall is
only liz inches per annum; so, upon
the whole. it is an ideal home for con-
sumptives.
l. Because the people here are not
jrejudiced against others coming. On
the contrary, they welcome them.
2. The disease never spreads in this
climate, and physicians and nurses are
never infected by coming in contact
with it.
3. The disease can be treated and
cured here far more economically
than in any of the eastern states.
A.. very large percentage are cur
ed, but in order to keep well, must re.
main here, and it is safe to say that
they can do as well for themselves
here. and become as nearly self-sup-
porting as anywhere else in the United
States.
5. By removing your consumptives
from their eastern homes, you not only
save their lives. but avoid the spread
of the disease in your own homes.
6. II is far less expensive for the
eastern states to send their consump-
tives here than it is to take care of
them at home.
Results Compared.
DR.. Bigg's report of the Blackwell's
Island sanitarium for consumptives
seems TO indicate this as one Of the
most popular eastern places for the
treatment of this disease. This re-
port shows patients received for the
current year, 1,431, and only twenty.
seven absolute cures out of this great
number. whereas it shows 394 deaths
thirty-seyen sent to other hospitals
and siXty-seyen sent home not benefit
ted. 1t is true that they claim TO have
improved $50. but where the disease
is not absolutely arrested the improve
ment is Of short duration. After dis
posing of the above numbers, showing
1907 of the 1,431, there are still lef
424 patients not accounted for, anC
who were probably sent home to die
However. taking the figures as we fin,
them, the results show in percentagl
as follows: Permanent cures, abou
2 per cent; improved, SO per cent
dpathe % nor cent. cont m other hos