The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1905-10-27
HeaIthiest Region in the United

States.
In looking about for a site for the
projected Michigan state sanitariun
for consumptiyeS, the discovery has
been made that the northern part OIL
the lower peninsula Of Michigan is the
healthieSt Part Of the United States
This is not guess work by interested
parties, but the verdict of the United
States census. 1t will astonish many
who have heard the claims made for
the Maine woods, the AdrOndacks
the mountain regions Of North Caro-
lima and Georgia. for Colorado, Cali
fOrnia, Arizona, New Mexico, to hear
that the tables of the census bureau
demonstrate that the palm belongs to
Michigan Freedom from consumption
being the first consideration, the
board having the inquiry in charge
found that of the nine registration
states (where registration Of deaths
with the cause is obligatory, Mich,
gan stands lowest on the list, with a
death rate for consumption Of 10I;
New Hampshire, the next lowest on
the list, stands 1923; Massachusetts
1862, and New York, 1871. Rural
Michigan stands 941. An eXamina,
ton of the chart for Michigan shows
no less than thirty-nine counties with
lower rate than 95 (which are shown
In White). There are only five such
counties in New York state. Com
pared with other parts Of the country
the low rate for northern Michigan is
most remarkable. The consumption
death rate for cities in the New Eng
land states is pa; for cities in the
middle states 259, lake states 1856,
southern states 277, San Francisco
304. Thus it is seen that even the
cities of the lake region compare most
fayOrably with cities of the rest OF the
country in the matter Of exemption
from pulmonary tuberculosis. Having
found that the lake region appears to
be most favorable, the board stuck a
pin in the center Of this region on
the map, in the upper part Of the
lower peninsula Of Michigan. Here
are the great lakes to the north, the
east and the west. Here are pine and
hemlOck forests, filling the air with
balsam. Here is a porous soil of
gravel and glacial drift, with good
water unCOntamtnated by cities. And
here is abundance of sunshine, with
absence of fog. So the board reasoned.
Examining the vital statistics of the
state. it was found that the four cOun-
ties of Otsego, Crawford, Roscommon
and Gladwin show an average death
rate for all forms of tuberculosis for
the past five years Of only $50. Ham
ilton county, New York, the Adiron-
dack county making the best showing,
has consumption death rate, accord
ing to the census. twice as large as
the first three Michigan counties
named above, while the cancer, pneu-
monia and diphtheria charts left COM
,parison entirely out of the question
and show a clear white record for
northern Michigan. 1t will be little
wonder, therefore, if the state SAM
tarium is located in one of the coun-
ties above named, distant from any
large city, and where the pine scented
air will continually blow through the
open cottages of the cOnsumptiyes'
camp for the sanitarium will be of
the camp character, rather than
large building, and will be as open
to the sun and air as possible. Here
the campers will be encouraged to
take moderate exercise, to eat nour-
ishing food, rich in vegetable fats, and
TO get tanned and toughened in the
open air. By this means it is hoped
that the consumption death list Of
Michigan, $500 per year, will be ma
terially reduced, aud that a large pro-
portion of the cabperS will be return
ed to their homes strengthened and
cured.