The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1904-01-20
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COMFORT, Tex, Jan. 20--The attempt
to check the white Mans Scourge," or
tuberculosis, is occupying the attention of
the civilized world. An idea of the preva-
lcnce of consumption is gained from the
fact that nearly one-fourth of the human
family is affhcted with it.
he DEAN rate from consumption VIII,
nearly equal That OF all othel diseases COM
blnea, -aa4d. the-rAartallty- IN one year gsni
surpass that of the combined battles OF
any year or the civil war
Estimate that an able-bodied man is
worth To society Sz,OUU, the value fixed
by soclologsts, the yearly loss to the ma
ton VIII reach hundreds of millions, and
surpass the loss from floods, fires or cpl
denlcs.
But one effective remedy has been found
fresh air. From Maine to California pa
tients live in the open, and in this way
thousands of incipient cases have been
cured. AT the consumptive camps in New
York and Pennsylvania log houses are
built with one side open, and sick men,
tucked under blankets, sleep within 10
feet of snow banks.
In the southwest the open-air treat
ment has achieved success. In Texas, New
Mexico and Arizona where the winters
are mild and the sun shines daily, thou
sands live the year round in tents To
San Antonio 10000 consumptives come
yearly, and others go up the valley of the
Guadalupe.
Here tent life is found in its perfec-
| ton " hite villages dot the mountains
and the traveller almost fancies himself
among the tribes OF the East. Winter is
one continuous October, with genial sun
and a cloudless sky.
The country is beautiful. Mountains
wall in a WIDE valley, ever green with
live oak, cedars and winter wheat. Pros
porous German emigrants have barns filled
to overtiowing. The air that comes from
the hills is OF that quality called ozone,
which brings back the Joy of living with
every breath.
| 1t is worth the trip to see so many OF.
the sick either wholly or almost. recov-
cred. The Hunger" comes out pale and
weak, with racking cough and subject
10 night sweats. In a few days the sweats
discontinue, in a week he begins to walk
about and eat ravenously. After a few
months-if he comes before the disease is
too far advanced-the cough disappears
and he taken on rudy color. The rest
is only question of patience, for it takes
two or three years to eradicate tuber-
culosis thoroughly.
| On this account many of the lungers
settle in the West. One finds in Texas,
New Mexico and Arizona hundreds OF
merchants, ranehmen, hotel-keepers and
the like, who came out 10 or 20 years
ago for their health
Not far from this town is a typical
camp of "lungers." Five or six good fell
lows who are getting well together have
pitched their tents on mountain slope
and have dubbed their village Sunny
wood" There is a common dining room
and kitchen tent, and each man has two
| tents besides, one l4xl4 feet for himself
and smaller stable tent. Living tents
have tongueand-groove floors. stoves, rugs,
pictures and furniture tmade of dry goods
boxes draped with cotton and are coy
and homelike
A young man from the University of
Michigan, known as the Master Lunger,"
came out to greet me.
"a tent is warm in winter and cool in
summer he said, in answer to my ques-
ton, Just the plant to carry on the lung
business in"
A ''norther' was blowing up, so ac-
cepted his invitation to enter. He piled
logs into his open stove and the walls
reflected the ruddy glow of the fire The
tent bellied and tapped. but we were as
coy as if in tightly-built house.
GU are surely not a lunger?"
asked, marking his color and sohu
pounds.
Certainly; / have been in the lung
business two years but / shall go back
to the artificial life of the city before
long, and he sighed regretfully; "the
fact is, | am about we'll
Tell me how you did it,
Il have gained 90 pounds since coming
here. The secret is, live in the open "a
hours day, eat all you can. sleep all you
can, take plenty of exercise and don't
worry. Don't ruin your appetite with sure
=, Ride, on the Greyhound when going to
Olympia. rs'