Taking the climate cure in 1898

Let's time-travel back to 1898, and take the climate cure. That is, if your lungs are weak, if you have a troublesome cough, if your throat is disagreeably affected by each change of weather, and your nerves are unstrung.

I'm looking through a pamphlet published in 1898 called "Health Resorts in the Salt River Valley", which promoted the Phoenix area for people who had anything from tuberculosis to an annoying sniffle from living in a cold and wet climate, and could afford to get away from there.

The idea, as you can see, was to go live in a place where the air in dry, pure, warm and equitable (sounds like Phoenix!) and where proper medical attendance and nursing may be had if needed (this is also something that Phoenix has always had). Nature is the best of physicians when conditions are friendly!

To be fair, this pamphlet also gives credit where credit is due, to places like Colorado, New Mexico and California. Of course, the best of the best, according to this pamphlet, was the Salt River Valley, in south-central Arizona, which is where Phoenix is, and of course also Mesa, Tempe, etc. But don't take my word for it, let's listen to Dr. L.W. Luscher, who wrote in the Kansas City Medical Record:

And basically the good doctor is recommending a place like Phoenix, with a LOT of sunshine. By the way, I looked up pyogenic, and I don't recommend that you do - it's gross. Needless to say you don't want it, but you do want warm sunshine.

So go soak up that sunshine!

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