22 FORESTS, WOODS, AND TREES 
There now appears to be a reaction against the sup- 
posed beneficial effect of pine forests, based, I suppose, on 
Prof. Leonard Hill’s campaign for unlimited movement of 
the air (7). It will be best for me to give some extracts 
from letters received from medical superintendents of noted 
sanatoria. 
Dr. David Lawson tells me that “Dr. Walther adver- 
tised the merits of the situation of the Nordrach Sanatorium 
in a pine district, where the terebene vapours, exuded more 
particularly in the spring months, added a special value 
to treatment obtained there, as contrasted with that avail- 
able at Falkenstein and other rival institutions which were 
not located in pine forests. In the early days of founding 
sanatoria in this country we accepted without examination 
the claims made for the specific benefits of treatment in 
pine districts. Personally I made a point of it to such 
an extent that I selected a pine wood in which to build 
Nordrach-on-Dee, Banchory. Whether the claim is right 
or wrong I cannot now say. I am perfectly convinced, 
however, that a sanatorium (8) ought to be in its immediate 
vicinity surrounded by trees to provide shelter from strong 
winds in winter which are injurious to the less robust 
patients. Pine forests for the most part are located in 
healthy districts, far removed from large centres of popula- 
tion, and are therefore usually associated with those genial 
atmospheric conditions which undoubtedly have a very high 
value in the open-air treatment of phthisis.” 
Dr. W. O. Meek, of the Brompton Hospital Sanatorium at 
Frimley, says: “ At one time the presence of Scots fir trees 
was considered of value on account of the exhalations of 
turpentine, etc. I think this idea is now almost obsolete. 
Scots firs seem to grow on elevated gravelly soils which are 
very suitable for sanatoria; and they are also very valuable 
as a shelter from wind and rain both winter and summer.” 
Both these experienced men believe in the value of pine 
woods as shelter; let us hear the other side. Dr. F. 
Kineaid Etlinger, Medical Superintendent of the Pinewood 
Sanatorium, Wokingham, writes to me: “ When I came here, 
