Hygienic Observations.

A FEW OBSERVATIONS ON THE INFLUENCE OF HIGHLAND AIR IN THE CURE OF

INCIPIENT PHTHISIS.

BY DR. LIEDBECK, OF STOCKHOLM.

Translated from the Swedish by Professor GEORGII.

We copy the following article, by our respected correspondent, Dr. Liedbeck, from the Monthly Homeopathic Review:

It has often been remarked that the air at the sea-side has been found 'too strong' for patients suffering from pulmonary consumption on their first removal thither; that, on the other hand, they have felt better in their own country homes; still more so, perhaps, when living at a farm-yard, or in a fir-wood, or on high mountains; nay, even in the common inland air. The popular expression, however, about the sea air being 'too strong,' is more rational than might at first appear, because of the greater atmospheric pressure on the borders of the sea than on more elevated ground-the expression 'too strong' being taken to indicate rather a relative than an absolute condition in nature.

But some persons would, perhaps, be disposed to ask what influence a greater or less degree of condensation of the air could have on the cure of phthisis? The answer is simply this -Phthisical patients, equally with all other living beings, find themselves under the necessity, in a mountainous country, of drawing deeper and fuller breaths, in order at each inspiration to obtain the same amount of oxygen as at the sea-coast. They are obliged involuntarily, day and night, without ceasing,

34 November.

by their own effort, to make deep inspirations; and by this continuously enforced process of exercising the breathing power, it becomes more developed, and will, in many instances, equal, if not surpass, the results obtained by a careful medico-gymnastic treatment, which is only applied once or twice a day. It is a well-established fact that pulmonary consumption is unknown among the native population of the highlands of Switzerland, because they learn, during their whole lifetime, the art of respiration, under the teaching of Nature herself, more effectually than they could do so in artificial conditions, under the training of the most skilful teacher of gymnastics. And the man who has once become habituated in the school of nature to inhale the air with a full expansion of the chest will, afterwards, on a less elevated ground-on the plain-continue to breathe in the same manner, because the capacity of lung-expansion has increased in the same ratio as the power of the muscles of inspiration and of the whole respiratory apparatus has once and for all been vigorously developed.

Although Norway has in general higher mountains than Sweden, it has not, as yet, made any use of this advantage in the treatment of pulmonary consumption; and it is only within the last few years that an establishment for this purpose has been in existence in Sweden. This establishment is situated at Mosseberg, near Falkoping, 750 feet above the level of the sea. Mosseberg is essentially a water establishment, but we find from the report of the physician attached to the establishment, that in addition to the usual forms of disease successfully treated after Priesnitz's method, he makes emphatic mention of 'the extraordinarily beneficial results which have been obtained at Mosseberg in several forms of lung-affections, especially in chronic bronchitis and incipient phthisis.'

The old custom in Sweden, and one which has its corresponding practice in other countries, was to send patients affected with incipient pulmonary consumption to the West Coast, and Marstrand has thus been called-more by the Germans perhaps than by ourselves—the Madeira of Sweden. The credit due to these two islands-the real-no less than to its northern substitute, as far as the cure of consumption goes, is, however, rather

doubtful; and it has been shown that the dry air of the steppes of Russia, with the addition of the use of koumis, affords much more favorable results in the cure of phthisis than the air of these islands.

The many tombstones and monuments in the cemetery of Nice, erected over foreigners who came thither in search of health, but found a grave, tell a sad tale of the inefficiency of the place, viewed as a health-resort in phthisis.

"At Gorbersdorff, in the Riesengebirge, with an elevation of 1,700 feet above the sea-level, there has existed during the last ten years an establishment for the treatment of pulmonary consumption, under the direction of Dr. Brehmer. Physicians from various quarters have borne testimony to the good results obtained at Gorbersdorff, in comparison with the exceptional benefits resulting from travel by land or sea, or from the cautious use of the water-treatment. In reference to this treatment it has been alleged that the founder of the modern watercure, Vincent Priesnitz, died of phthisis at the original establishment, Grafenberg, even before the disease had reached its last stage. It may not be out of place to note en passant an entirely different result in the case of the inventor of the modern movement-cure, P. H. Ling, who, attacked by pulmonary phthisis at an early age, yet managed to keep it at bay by his kinesiatric applications, until, at last, from a combination of unfavorable circumstances, the disease obtained the mastery at the age of 63. I am inclined, however, to believe that the pure highland air (without the aid of baths or other remedies) will generally be found to afford the best help in the first stage of consumption, whilst, in its last stage, highland air, equally with other remedial processes, will probably be found of no avail.

HEALTH.-Herald of Health says: "With health, man can accomplish anything he wills, but without it, he is like a giant bound, helpless. Horace Mann once truly and beautifully said: 'All through the life of a pure-minded, but feeble-bodied man, his path is lined with memory's gravestones, which mark the spots where noble enterprises perished for want of physical vigor to embody them in deeds.'"

A CONTRAST IN DWELLINGS--A NEST OF CONSUMPTION AND A HOME OF HEALTH.

Dr. Bowditch in Atlantic Monthly says:

We know of two families in Massachusetts of whom the following story may be told. Two healthy brothers married two healthy sisters. Both had large families of children. One lived on the old homestead, on the southern slope of one of the numerous, beautiful and well-drained hills in that vicinity. The whole house was bathed all day long in sun-light, and consumption did not touch any of the young lives under its roof. The other brother placed his house at a very short distance off, but upon a grassy plain, covered all summer with the rankest verdure. In its front was a large open "common." In the center of this, water oozed up from between the split hoofs of the cows as they came lowing homeward in the evening, and the bare-footed boy who was driving them used to shrink from the place, and preferred to make a circuit of its edge rather then to follow the lead of his more quiet comrades. Back of the house was a large level meadow, reaching to the very foundations of the building. Through this meadow sluggishly crept the mill-stream adjacent village. Still further, all these surroundings were inclosed by lofty hills. The life-giving sun rose later and set earlier upon this than upon the other fair homestead. Till late in the forenoon, and long before sunset left the hillside home, damp and chilling emanations arose from the meadow, and day after day enveloped the tender forms o the children that were trying in vain to grow up healthily within them. But all efforts were useless. Large families were born under both roofs. Not one of the children born in the later established homestead escaped, whereas the other family remained healthy; and when, at the suggestion of a medical friend, who knew all the facts we have told, we visited the place for the purpose of thoroughly investigating them, we thought that these two houses were a terrible significant illustration of the existence of this all-powerful law. Yet these two homes had nothing peculiarly noticeable by the passing stranger. They were situated in the same township, and within a very short distance one from the other, and scarcely any one in the village with whom we spoke on the subject agreed with us in our opinion that it was location alone, or chiefly that, which gave life or death to the inmates of the two.

We might speak of other homesteads which seem to us now to be the very nests of consumption in consequence of this law and yet not one parent in a hundred acknowledges even theoretically his belief in the correctness of our assertion. Parents them. selves during a long residence, may escape from the dire influences of location; and therefore they imagine, if their children are failing, that some other evil agency is at work, rather than this law.

Illustrative of this error on the part of parents, we cannot forbear relating the following fact. We know of a house situated about a foot above and just on the edge of a small lake. The cellar, if there be one, must be below the level of the water. The house, built with taste, nestles amid over-hanging and thickly leaved trees, through which the sun rays can scarcely penetrate even at midday. The homestead is overrun with the springing woodbine, clematis and honeysuckle. Coolness, dampness, and little sunlight are the characteristics of the spot. In the midst of summer it is the beau ideal of a quiet, refined country house, which any one, even the most fastidious, would desire to occupy. Yet as we have looked at it, and have remembered how one by one of the children born in it have been cut off by consumption, either at puberty or at early manhood or womanhood, we have turned with loathing from all its external beauties, and have regarded them all as so many false and fatal allurements, bringing inevitable ruin to those who should fall within the sphere of their influence.

These tales are no creation of our imagination, but positive and undeniable facts.

The Sunshine.-Every body should live on the sunny side of their houses as much as possible, and allow the sun's genial rays to penetrate the rooms. Darkened parlors are fashionable evils. True, it is gloomy enough to be ushered into a tomb-like apartment, where one can scarcely grope his way to a seat; and to discover, when his eyes become accustomed to the dim light, that every chair and sofa has on its "duster," apparently equipped for traveling to some unknown land. But ladies must have their carpets kept bright and fresh, even if their cheeks are the paler for it! And so the shutters are tightly closed, and the heavy curtains drawn. But, for the sake of health and beauty, ladies, let this be done only in the "best parlor," if it must be done at all. Let the rooms where the family live be cheerful and sunny. No lady would expect her house-plants to send out full, brilliant blossoms, unless she placed them at a window where the sunshine would invigorate them. No more should she expect her children to show fresh, rosy complexions, or to develope genial dispositions, unless they live in light, sunny, airy rooms.