96 WORLD-POWER AND EVOLUTION 



as well be zeros. However this may be, there seems to be strong 

 evidence that for ten months out of twelve the health of New York 

 is better after periods of high variability than after those of 

 relative uniformity. When people become accustomed to a mild, 

 uniform climate such as that of southern Italy or southern Cali- 

 fornia, their power to resist variations in the weather declines, 

 and they suffer from slight changes much more than the people 

 of variable climates suffer from large ones. 



The practical applications of the preceding discussion are 

 almost innumerable. I shall content myself with two or three 

 samples. The study of the daily deaths in New York suggests 

 that our medical practice may well be radically revised. Many 

 physicians have of late recognized the value of open-air treatment. 

 Its potency in cases of tuberculosis is universally recognized. 

 Freeman goes so far as to say that low temperature is the most 

 effective cure for a large number of diseases and perhaps for 

 almost all. He cites cases where soldiers with infected and 

 putrifying wounds were placed out of doors in cold weather with 

 only thin sheets of gauze over the raw flesh. A phenomenally 

 rapid recovery followed in many cases. In his own practice, 

 Freeman states that in cases of puerperal septicaemia he has 

 succeeded in reducing the mortality 50 per cent by placing his 

 patients in the open air in winter. Many other similar cases might 

 be cited. Yet the general medical practice is still to keep patients 

 in a relatively high temperature and not to expose them to sudden 

 changes. 



A comparison of our results in New York with those obtained 

 by Freeman and with the general practice in respect to tubercu- 

 losis raises the query whether changes rather than low tempera- 

 ture may not be the effective agent. An ordinary tuberculosis 

 patient sleeps out of doors, comes into the house to dress and 

 have breakfast. After perhaps two hours in the house the patient 

 goes out again to stay till noon. Then he comes in again for 

 luncheon, goes out once more, comes in for supper, and again goes 



