The climatic treatment of phthisis / by Harold Williams.

  • Williams, Harold.
Date:
1885
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The climatic treatment of phthisis / by Harold Williams. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    with respect to neighboring heights and marshes and prevailing winds. It should be equable in temper- ature, and should possess the maximum of pleasant weather. It should not be so hot as to be enervating, nor so cold as to prevent out-door exercise and proper ventilation of the houses. It should afford plenty of amusement; it should not be crowded with consump- tives, and it should be sulficientlj unfashionable as to admit of hygienic dress. Above all, it should afford suitable accommodations for the invalid. The house should be carefully situ- ated and thoroughly ventilated; the food should be abundant, palatable, and varied ; and the sleeping-room should he large and sunny, and afford sufficient ventila- tion, and I believe that such a health resort as affords these advantages in the highest degree will be found by experience to be the best locality for a phthisical patient, be the barometric pressure, the aqueous vapor, and “ tlie diathermancy ” what they may. In conclusion, I would say that the views arrived at in the present paper are by no means new, although they have not to my knowledge been similarly stated. For example, Parkes, in his Practical Hygiene has said : “ '1 he best climates for phthisis are those which permit the greatest number of hours to be passed out of the house,” “ and again. Sir Joseph Fayrer, Presi- dent of the London Medical Society, expressed a sim- ilar opinion when he said that: “ too much importance had been attached to altitude ; it was pure air that is of most value.” “ For myself, I believe that more attention has been paid to the meteorological differ- ences of climate than their efficacy has been shown to deserve and that too, to the great detriment of such patients as are unable to avail themselves of them, 38 Parkes’ Practical Hygiene, quoted in B. M. & S. J., 1883, xviii, 282 88 Med. Soc. Lond. Lond. Lancet, 1883,1. 696.