COLORADO AS A WINTER SANITARIUM. 677 



Surely this is a surprising showing, and one which, in itself, suffi- 

 ciently indicates the character of our climate. 



Resume. — To sura up, then, the information we have gathered with 

 reference to the nature of the Colorado climate, between the hours of 

 9 A. M. and 5 p. m., the invalid's day, and during the eight months 

 from September to April inclusive, the invalid's winter : we have 

 learned that the days are very few, probably not more than two in a 

 month, when an invalid can not be out of doors, gaining health and 

 strength ; that the air is warm enough to admit of his being out the 

 greater part of the time from 9 a. m. to 5 p. m., and by this we mean 

 with comfort (certainly, even the most sensitive invalid can get sev- 

 eral hours out of doors at midday) ; that, while there are occasional 

 high winds, they are not more frequent than occur elsewhere, and the 

 average daily motion is mild — not more than is enjoyable and conducive 

 to purity ; that the air is an exceedingly dry and bracing one, and 

 that fogs are of very rare occurrence. 



Are there not in these conditions the most desirable elements of 

 climate for the consumptive? Here are to be found the greatest 

 amount of sunshine to be had anywhere in the United States ; a dry 

 air, a rarefied and pure air ; absence of fog ; a dry soil free from snow 

 and moisture ; a temperature that admits of out-of-door life with com- 

 fort ; and a daily movement of the air that is mild and gentle — all of 

 which conditions combine to tempt the invalid to a life in the open air. 



Says Professor Frankland of Davos, "In the brilliant sunshine 

 one feels comfortably warm sitting in front of the hotel in a light 

 morning coat." What would he say of a climate where the sun shines 

 so brightly and the air is so mild that picnics are admissible, and out- 

 of-door sports, such as riding, driving, tennis, quoits, etc., can be in- 

 dulged in the greater part of the winter ? 



Before concluding the article, we wish to say a few words in regard 

 to what seems to us to be the weak point of Professor Frankland's 

 advocacy of the Yellowstone Park as a winter sanitarium ; an objec- 

 tion which, we think, would be sufficient to condemn any place as a 

 resort for consumptives, no matter how advantageous its climate. We 

 have reference to its distance from the settled portions of our country, 

 and the lack of accommodations in the park itself. These features, 

 which Professor Frankland recognizes and mentions, must, for the 

 present at least, put the Yellowstone Park entirely out of considera- 

 tion as a winter resort for the consumptive ; for he will not be willing 

 to subject himself to a journey of five or six days by rail, a stage-ride 

 of thirty hours, and the utter isolation of such a place, to say nothing 

 of its lack of accommodations, simply that he may winter in an ele- 

 vated region, possessing " a continuous and, during winter, permanent 

 covering of snow" — a covering of snow w^hich, by-the-by, is deep 

 enough, so I am credibly informed, to drive the big game from the 

 park during the winter months. 



