The Tucumcari news. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1905-1907, 1905-11-25
Healthiest Region in the United
States.

oldlCS.
In looking about for a site for the
projected Michigan state sanitarium
for consumptives, the discovery has
been made that the northern part Of
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 Adirondacks,
the mountain regions of North Caro-.
lima and Georgia. for Colorado, Call
fornia, Arizona, New Mexico, to hear
that the tables of the census bureau
demonstrate hat 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, Michi-
gar stands lowest on the list, with a
death rate for consumption OF lOI.:
New Hampshire, the next lowest on
the list. stands 1928; Massachusetts.
1862. and New York, 194.l. Rural
Michigan stands 94.1. An eXamina-
ton of the chart for Michigan shows
no less than thirty-nine counties with
q 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 he New eng
land states is 244; for cities in the
middle states $50. lake states loG,
southern states 277, San Francisco
3O4. Thus 1t Is seen that even the
cities of the lake region compare most
favorably with cities OF the rest or the
country in the matter Of exemption
from pulmonary tuberculosis. Having
found that the lake region appears 10
be most favorable, the board stuck n
bin In the cente of this region on
the map. in the upper part OF the
lower peninsula Of Michigan. Here
arc the great lakes to the north, tn"
east and the west. Here are pine and
hemlock forests, filing the air with
balsam. Here Is q porous soil OF
gravel and glacial drift, with good
water uncontaminated by cities. II
here Is abundance Of sunshine, with
absence of fog. So the board reasoned.
Examining the vital statistics of the
state. 1t was found that the o coun-
ties of Otsego, Crawford, Roscommon
and Gladwin show an average death
rate for al. forms OF tuberculosis for
the past five years OF only $50. Ham
jlton county, New York, the Adiron.
dack county making the best showing,
has a 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. It will be little
wonder, therefore, if the state SAM
tarium is located in n 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 consumptiVeS
camp, for the sanitarium will be OF
the camp character, rather than a
large building. and will be as open
10 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, and that a large pro
portion rf the cabpers will be return
ed to their homes strengthened ano
cured.
A quick lunch" usually means {