NO. I AIR AND TUBERCULOSIS — HINSDALE 7I 



who indulge in this Alpine pastime revel in summer clothing. Al- 

 though the climate is a cold one it is characterized by great diurnal 

 ranges of temperature, freedom from dust, winds and fogs, and emi- 

 nently suitable for the climatic cure. 



As the snow lies on the ground at these resorts for from three to 

 five months, sleighing, skating, skiing and tobogganing are popular 

 and some of these sports are allowable in suitable cases of tuberculo- 

 sis. In March or April the snow melts and the roads become slushy 

 and muddy, so that the air becomes very damp, and patients are 

 accustomed to make temporary visits to lower stations, such as 

 Wiesen (4,760 feet), Seewis (2,985 feet), Thusis (2,448 feet), Gais 

 in Appenzell (2,820 feet), or Ragaz (1,709 feet), returning later to 

 the higher stations.* 



SURGICAL TUBERCULOSIS TREATMENT IN SWITZERLAND 



No chapter on high altitude treatment would be complete at the 

 present time without noting the brilliant success of Dr. A. RoUier 

 in the treatment of surgical tuberculosis at Leysin, in the Vaudois 

 Alps, Switzerland. This station has an altitude of about 4,500 feet 

 above sea level. The hospital buildings face the south and are pro- 

 tected by mountain ranges from the cold winds of the north and 

 west." Rollier states that even in midwinter, with snow on the 

 ground, the temperature on the sunny balconies is often as high 

 as 95° to 120° F. Owing to the purity of the atmosphere and 

 the absence of moisture there is little loss of the luminous and 

 caloric radiation of the sun. Rollier established his first hospital for 

 the treatment of tuberculosis of the bones and joints in 1903, but it 

 is only during the last two or three years that his method has 

 attracted so much attention, though Bernard, of Samaden, had prac- 

 ticed it in the pure mountain air of Graubunden in the Engadine ; 

 and probably this influenced Rollier to select an elevated site for his 

 hospitals. These are three in number and are located at 1,250, 1,350 

 and 1,500 meters, or 3,800, 4,100 and 4,500 feet. The exposure of 



' See Walter B. Piatt, M. D. : The Climate of St. Moritz, Upper Engadine, 

 Switzerland (Trans. Amer. Climat. Ass., Vol. 4, p. 137)- 



Arnold C. Klebs : St. Moritz, Engadine (Trans. Amer. Climat. Ass., 1906, 

 Vol. 22, p. is). 



" See description by John Winters Brannan, ,M. D., Medical Record, June 7, 

 1913. Also Rollier, Paris Medical, January 7, 191 1, and February, 1913. 

 The author is indebted to Dr. Brannan for his data and to Dr. Rollier for the 

 illustrations and descriptions of his method. 



