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of 20°. Such a combination of climatic
conditions must be trying to the pul
monary invalid.
The Gulf and Pacific coast resorts
are often unwisely chosen by persons
of low vitality (as are their opposites,
(the cold northern stations,) when a
moderately invigorating climate would
have been preferable.
Surgeon G. K. Wood, of the U. S.
army, says that, “the injurious effects
of sending consumptives to the hot,
low and moist coast, aud the islands of
the Gulf of Mexico should be aban
doned. In diseases of debility, the
remedies are tonics and stimulants.
What is more debilitating than affec
tions of the lungs? And what less ton
ic than heat and moisture combined?”
If a physician desires to promote
suppuration in an inflamed part heap
plies heat and moisture in the shape
of a poultice. May not (and the wri
ter puts the question to conscientious
physicians on the Gulf coast,) heat
and moisture combined, promote sup
puration in a diseased lung?
Relative humidity ot various signal
service stations:
STATIONS. Winter. Year.
Denver, Coli 54.0 48.0
Los Angeles, Cal. 63.5 67.0
Atlanta, Ga 68.8 67.0
San Antonio, Tex. 69.9 67.6
Saint Paul, Minn. 7’2.3 69.0 .
Jacksonville, Fla. 7'2.6 71.0
Atlantic City, NJ j 79.2 79.4
Note. —Relative humidity is the
degree of moisture below 100, which is
complete saturation.
RAINFALL.
“The total amount of rain falling at
any place during the course of a year,
a season or a month is of less impor
tance * * * than is the
distribution of such rain.” — Dr. Rich
ards.
The rainfall at Atlanta is variously
recorded at 54.36 inches by the ob
server at the United States sigtial ser
vice office, tour years observations,
48.99 by Col. R. J. Redding, assistant
commissioner of agriculture, and 46.83
by the post surgeons at McPherson
Barracks. The measur meats of the
signal officer are taken in the heart of
the city; by Col. Redding one mile
west of there, and by the United
States surgeons two miles south-west.
That there may be discrepancies in re
ports from two neighborhoods is shown
by the report of the Chief Signal offi
cer, U. S A. for 1884. At two sta
tions (one volunteer,) one in Wash
ington, D. C., the other at the Receiv
ing Reservoir across the Potomac river
there was a difference of 1.64 inches.
There was a difference of 3.57 inches
between the measurements at the sig
nal office, in Cincinnati and on Col
lege Hill, three miles out. In both
instances, the excess was in the city.
Observations continued in this line
might develop the fact that there are
conditions existing which produce
greater rainfall in cities than in subur
ban places.
As “one swallow does not make a
summer” neither will two facts prove a
rule.
An analysis of the rainfall for the
years 1882-’B3-’B4 and ’BS shows that
there fell during the four years 218.46
inches of rain. 157.83 inches fell dur
ing 54 days. The hours composing
these days were distributed through
every month of the years excepting
three. During these three months no
heavy rains fell. To make it plain
the rainfall and time are put in form
of a table below:
Years. Total of Total hours Total Total
1882 heavy rain of heavy rain days rain
1883 in inches, fall in days. fall.
1884
1885 157.83. 54.00 1450 218.46
It rained continuously for twenty-
four hours but twelve times during the
four years. The longest single period
when rain fell was forty hours, in 1885.
The writer knows from observation
at various health resorts —Rocky
Mountain and Appalachian —that
persons who leave home in search of
health, having that object alone in
view, are prone to look only for verifi
cation of what good features of climate
they have read of as existing where
they may go.
Now, there are some disagreeable
days in winter, as there are every
where, from Key West to Mackinac,
which may weary the invalid. Still,
it is repeated, they are as few as are to
be found elsewhere in our country of
changeableness of weather.
The longest “rainy spell” was for
twenty-one days, in January 1885,
with one intermission of three days,
and another of four.
The topography of Atlanta is such
that the surface drainage is perfect in
ad directions. There are no swamps,
ponds or lakes near the city. The
nearest river is six miles distant. So,
there is ncthing to breed malaria. Fif
ty per cent, of the rain fell after 6 p.
m. and it was clear before 8 a. m.
FOGS.
During 1884 and ’BS there were but
three foggy days, and one foggy morn
ing which cleared early.
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CHAMBERLIN, JOHNSON A CO., DRY GOODS, ETC., ATLANTA.
CLOUDINESS.
Sir W. Temple thought that the
best climate where he could be abroad
in the air with pleasure, or at least
without inconvenience, the most days
of the year and the most hours of the
day.
In this connection arises a considera
tion of the clear and fair days. They
numbered 271) on a yearly average,
for a period of seven consecutive years.
In comparison with Denver, in
“cloudless Colorado,” Atlanta stands
well. In a scale of 0 to 10 Denver
has a proportion of 3.77 to Atlanta’s
4.25, or only 0.48 less than Atlanta
has.
A comparison of the cloudiness in
Atlanta with that of Saini Paul,
Minn., is given below.
Table of cloudiness by seasons for
the year.
60 s £
CITIES. ’S I -a
™
Saint Paul, Minnj 5.20 4.90 492
Atlanta, Ga|3.6o 4.8 Q 4.25
The observations at Atlanta were
for three consecutive years.
WIND.
Dr. C. T. Williams, of England, in
his Lettsomian Lectures, upon “The
Influence of Climate in the Treatment
of Pulmonary Consumption” says: —
“A bracing though somewhat gusty
THE KENNESAW GAZETTE.
climate avails more than a mild, still
and somewhat relaxing one, and in
stead of seeking for a sedative atmo
sphere to allay the cough and reduce
irritability, we should in most cases se
lect a stimulating one to increase the
appetite, and to invigorate the system
of our patients.” He also asserts that
“neither excessive humidity nor dry
ness of air are [is] favoraole.”
While Atlanta has almost daily
breezes, it has no high winds. It is
out of the cyclone zone. January and
February have some gusty, and, disa
greeable days, however, they are so
few as not to prove trying to invalids.
A person who cannot endure such had
better remain at home, as his life
could only be prolonged anywhere.
Sixty-five per cent, of the wind
comes sweeping over the rugged coun
try of northern Alabama, East Ten
nessee, N. W., N. E. and North
Georgia and North-West South Caro
lina. In passing over these heavily
timbered, hilly and mountainous re
gions, they are sponged of their moist
ure, and come dry, purified and invig
orating to the system.
Ten months of the year are, on the
average, unsurpassed for pleasantness
of weather. In fact, barring some
days in January and February, At
lanta has as uniformly fine a climate
as is to be found elsewhere on earth.
A distinguished physician of Atlan-
ta, of inter-national reputation, recent
ly remarked to the writer that, “after
having sojourned in all parts of the
World, with the exception of Africa,
he had never found a climate compar
able to that of Atlanta for pleasant
ness throughout the entire year.”
Prof. W. A. Hammond, of New York,
recently sent a patient to Atlanta,
with the injunction to “live there as,
after investigating the climates of the
United States he had come to the con
clusion that it had the best climate in
the United States.”
Having shown that Atlanta has an
equable temperature; a small annual
and daily raime; relative humidity be
tween the extremes; a comparatively
small degree of cloudiness and rain-fall
semi-tropical, the writer feels that the
factors show a good sum on the side of
salubrity.
The full force in mercantile and me
chanical or manufacturing establish
ments can work, without discomfort,
the entire year. With Atlanta’s low
summer temperature and healthfulness,
it offers inducements to northern man
ufacturers who may desire proximity
to cheap pig iron of superior quality,
and forests of hard wood convenient.
To their laborers they can say, that
the saving in fuel and by wearing
’thinner clothing than in the North are
equivalent to an advance of 20 per
cent, on wages.
ADAPTATION OF THE CLIMATE TO DIS
EASE.
The writer is now brought to the di
rect consideration of the diseases to
which the climate is remediable. Bron
chial Catarrh, including chronic Bron
chitis, whether the expectoration is
scant or profuse, Laryngeal and
Pharyngeal Catarrhs, especially those
cases complicated with aural troubles,
so common and intractable in the
North, are readily cured. To the ar
my of consumptives Atlanta, and the
region tributary to it, offer asylums.
The consumptive may choose an ele
vation of from 1,100 feet at Atlanta,
to 3,000 on the Blue Ridge mountains,
north of there.
Patients, more than physicians, are
generally blamable for not promptly
seeking a change of climate, upon the
discovery that a lung has become tub
erculased.
Why persons cannot realize that the
same causes that produce an affection
will aggravate it, and for that reason
they should early abandon home for a
suitable climate, is enigmatical. Ear
ly changes are curative m a large pro
portion of cases. After softening has
progressed the proportion of recaverius
is small. Life is, however, prolonged
by a change, even then. Medical lit
erature contains reliable accounts of
cures after cavities have formed. Few
persons have the perseverance to fol
low out such a hygienic regimen as is
absolutely indispensible to a cure.
Without which cure is impossible.
And where health is being restored, it
is always the better part of wisdom to
remain and establish a new home.
Northern Georgia is favorable to re
covery from Catarrh of the Apex,
Chronic Pneumonia, Caseous Phthisis,
if destruction of tissue is not so advan
ced as to forbid active and persistent
out-door life. Its climate is especially
conducive to the cure of Catarrhal
Pneumonia and Libroid Phthisis,
Hoemoptysis, Catarrh of the Bladder,
Dyspepsia, Insomnia, Nervous affec
tions and Chlorosis. Persons broken
down by disease or overwork will soon
gain strength and spirits by a residence
in Atlanta or one of its numerous sub
urbs.
The general healthfulness of a region
is popularly measured by the ratio of
deaths from consumption. Folks die
everywhere. If they do not die from
consumption in sections of the low
country, in great numbers, the pro
portion dying from malaria may be as
great as from consumption in some re
gions of the North. In north Georgia
the mean is struck in both diseases.
A study of the accompanying mortali
ty tables, collated from the reports of
the Census of 1880, may prove to be
interesting.
Prof. Henry T. Campbell, of Au*
gusta, Georgia, ex-President of the
American Medical Association, recent
ly gave the writer abundant informa
tion to show that the region in and
about Augusta has been preventive of
the development of consumption in
persons whose progenitors died of the
disease, contracted in the North. Re
search in relation to the region about
Atlanta goes to prove that a likeprop
holaxis prevails there.
There are now living in Atlanta a
mother and two adult sons, sole survi
vors of a family of ten. The husband
of the lady, three sons and three
daughters died of consumption. The
mother and the remaining sons moved
to Atlanta years ago to escape the fate
of the other members of the family.
The sons had premonitory symptoms of
consumption at their native place.
The mother had hemorhages. The
tendency to which has been entirely
overcome by her residence in Atlanta,
Several nieces of the head of the
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