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THE SANITARIUM OF SOUTH AFRICA. (From a Lay Correspondent.)
358 THE SANITARIUM OF SOUTH AFRICA.
(From
Lay Correspondent.)
and is sometimes very hot and east
oppressive, while the southso damp and clammy
wind, though generally mild, is
that none but the strongest constitutions are able to stand it. Some idea of the humidity of the atmosphere may be No. IV. obtained from the fact, that although in the high parts of I HAVE now arrived, in my description of this country and the colony rifles and guns may be left exposed to the action climate, at the extreme point of the line which I drew in my of the atmosphere for months together without the slightest first letter, and I now enter on the subject of Bloemfontein fear of rust, one night’s south-easter at Port Elizabeth is sufficient to rust a gun completely ; and I believe that freand its neighbourhood. quently the humidity of the atmosphere is above 70°, 100° Though Bloemfontein is the capital town of the Orange representing complete saturation. Free State, and, besides, is the cathedral city of the GrahamstowD, however, which is only a day’s journey Elizabeth by Cobb and Cole’s coaches, possesses bishopric of Bloemfontein, yet it must not be supposed that from Port a different and a much better climate, and any invalids quite It of in outward grandeur it is very imposing. partakes at Port Elizabeth should make a point of going on the characteristics of all South African villages, and it landing there immediately. At Grahamstown a good rest may be would seem that the generality of visitors to it are disap- taken, and the remainder of the journey to Bloemfontein pointed both by its appearance and by the accommodation done in easy stages by stopping at Cradock and Philippolis. it affords. Hotel living at Bloemfontein is expensive and The climate of Cradock is very fine, and, indeed, it is by not very good; but of course here, as everywhere else, if an many preferred to that of Bloemfontein. Very good acinvalid could manage to be taken in by a private family he commodation may be obtained there, together with every comfort. Cradock has quite a reputation in the colony as may light on very comfortable quarters. The most prominent feature of the scenery of the Orange a sanatorium for invalids, and there are a good many con. River Free State is the immense extent of perfectly flat sumptives staying there for the benefit of their health, so country, covered by very long grass. Plain succeeds plain that if necessary, a stay might be made there for some without any break to the horizon, and the eye perfectly considerable time. wearies of the monotony. I have now completed my description of all such I The climate of the Free State is very dry, especially in of the colony as I think would be suitable as resiparts winter; but from the fact of its being a grass country dences for consumptives leaving England for the benefit of instead of a bush country, I almost doubt whether, taking their health. I have not, in this description, thought it the whole year round, the climate can be altogether so dry to touch at all on the midland provinces of the necessary there as in some parts of the Nieuwoeld. The air is very colony, as they present no special feature of interest for light and keen, and in winter it is very cold; and owing to invalids, and are, as a rule, either too hot or too damp to its being even higher than the Nieuwoeld the cold in winter make a good residence for invalids. The winds in winter seems to be even more severely felt. I now wish, before closing this letter, to say a few words are very cold and cutting, but, on the whole, these perhaps in which consumptives are sent out from Engon the In summer it is land. way are hardly so trying as in the Nieuwoeld. Since I have been in the colony I have both seen and subject to thunder and hail storms of even a more terrific heard of many very distressing cases of consumptive nature than those which visit the Nieuwoeld, and such an sent out here when all reasonable hope of their effect do these storms have on the atmosphere that I have patients had recovery quite passed, simply to die a lingering death known of the thermometer at the Diamond-fields falling as far a from their country and kindred. Unless away much as thirty degrees in a quarter of an hour, and the intends to take up his residence permanently in the patient Orange River has frequently been known to rise as much as colony, it would seem of little use to come out here, except twenty feet in one night. On summer mornings there is in the very first stages of the disease. Moreover, unless a frequently a thick mist, which hangs over the face of the patient has gained a certain amount of strength before his country for some time, and this should be carefully avoided arrival in the colony, he will not be able to stand the fatigue by invalids. The heat in summer also is very intense, and incidental to all travelling out here, nor put up with the this forms the great objection to Bloemfontein as a summer accommodation which he will find on his way, and I think I residence, though I doubt whether, as a winter residence, have shown that when he is here he must be prepared to there is any better place in the whole of South Africa. with a fair amount of cold and bad weather. The put up The best way of reaching Bloemfontein and the Free out seems generally to have a beneficial effect, but State is by way of Port Elizabeth; for though it may be voyage this is not as in some instances patients the reached by transport waggon from Cape Town to the suffer so always from case, sea-sickness as to arrive here weaker severely Diamond-fields, and by post cart from there, yet this is a than when they left England, and this is a point which much longer and more fatiguing route. The best route is always to be taken into consideration. from Port Elizabeth by means of Cobb and Cole’s coaches. ought I believe that, taking the whole of the colony into consiThese coaches pass through Grahamstown and Cradock to deration, there can be few better climates in the world than Philippolis, whence the remainder of the journey may can be found here, but my object in these letters has been be easily accomplished either by post or private cart. Port to give the medical profession and the public generally a Elizabeth (which it may not be altogether superfluous to more definite idea of the state of things out here than they mention is the same as Algoa Bay) can of course be easily usually possess, so that this colony may, by the exercise of reached by steamer from Cape Town, though it is generally due and care, be made more effective than it foresight a very rough and trying passage, but invalids must be hitherto has been as a sanatorium for invalids. careful not to spend more than a day or two at Port Cape of Good Hope, Nov. 1872. Elizabeth. Port Elizabeth is, without exception, the worst place for consumptives in the whole of the Cape colony, and I should think that few worse places could be found in the whole world. This is a fact which should be more widely known among the medical profession in England than it would MR. W. N. CHIPPERFIELD. seem to be, as at present many patients in various stages of pulmonary disease are sent out to Port Elizabeth in ON the 22nd of May Madras lost one of her ablest practhe hope of obtaining employment there, who find on titioners in Mr. W. N. Chipperfield, superintendent of the their arrival that their only hope of retaining whatever The deceased gentleman had for some Eye Infirmary. good they may have obtained from the voyage out is to months been in precarious health, and it was, we believe, move on at once to places further up the country, where his have to intention chance indeed of would stand little applied for leave of absence, but he they getting very in the of his public duties and of on employment of any description. discharge struggled At Port Elizabeth the wind seems to blow always, and his responsibilities in private practice till an apoplectic always in one of two directions, either from the north-west seizure carried him off. At about 11 A.M. paralysis of the from the land, or from the south-east from the sea. The right arm and leg appeared, soon followed by unconsciousnorth-west wind is always very strong and boisterous ness and death. a
Obituary.
(From
Lay Correspondent.)
and is sometimes very hot and east
oppressive, while the southso damp and clammy
wind, though generally mild, is
that none but the strongest constitutions are able to stand it. Some idea of the humidity of the atmosphere may be No. IV. obtained from the fact, that although in the high parts of I HAVE now arrived, in my description of this country and the colony rifles and guns may be left exposed to the action climate, at the extreme point of the line which I drew in my of the atmosphere for months together without the slightest first letter, and I now enter on the subject of Bloemfontein fear of rust, one night’s south-easter at Port Elizabeth is sufficient to rust a gun completely ; and I believe that freand its neighbourhood. quently the humidity of the atmosphere is above 70°, 100° Though Bloemfontein is the capital town of the Orange representing complete saturation. Free State, and, besides, is the cathedral city of the GrahamstowD, however, which is only a day’s journey Elizabeth by Cobb and Cole’s coaches, possesses bishopric of Bloemfontein, yet it must not be supposed that from Port a different and a much better climate, and any invalids quite It of in outward grandeur it is very imposing. partakes at Port Elizabeth should make a point of going on the characteristics of all South African villages, and it landing there immediately. At Grahamstown a good rest may be would seem that the generality of visitors to it are disap- taken, and the remainder of the journey to Bloemfontein pointed both by its appearance and by the accommodation done in easy stages by stopping at Cradock and Philippolis. it affords. Hotel living at Bloemfontein is expensive and The climate of Cradock is very fine, and, indeed, it is by not very good; but of course here, as everywhere else, if an many preferred to that of Bloemfontein. Very good acinvalid could manage to be taken in by a private family he commodation may be obtained there, together with every comfort. Cradock has quite a reputation in the colony as may light on very comfortable quarters. The most prominent feature of the scenery of the Orange a sanatorium for invalids, and there are a good many con. River Free State is the immense extent of perfectly flat sumptives staying there for the benefit of their health, so country, covered by very long grass. Plain succeeds plain that if necessary, a stay might be made there for some without any break to the horizon, and the eye perfectly considerable time. wearies of the monotony. I have now completed my description of all such I The climate of the Free State is very dry, especially in of the colony as I think would be suitable as resiparts winter; but from the fact of its being a grass country dences for consumptives leaving England for the benefit of instead of a bush country, I almost doubt whether, taking their health. I have not, in this description, thought it the whole year round, the climate can be altogether so dry to touch at all on the midland provinces of the necessary there as in some parts of the Nieuwoeld. The air is very colony, as they present no special feature of interest for light and keen, and in winter it is very cold; and owing to invalids, and are, as a rule, either too hot or too damp to its being even higher than the Nieuwoeld the cold in winter make a good residence for invalids. The winds in winter seems to be even more severely felt. I now wish, before closing this letter, to say a few words are very cold and cutting, but, on the whole, these perhaps in which consumptives are sent out from Engon the In summer it is land. way are hardly so trying as in the Nieuwoeld. Since I have been in the colony I have both seen and subject to thunder and hail storms of even a more terrific heard of many very distressing cases of consumptive nature than those which visit the Nieuwoeld, and such an sent out here when all reasonable hope of their effect do these storms have on the atmosphere that I have patients had recovery quite passed, simply to die a lingering death known of the thermometer at the Diamond-fields falling as far a from their country and kindred. Unless away much as thirty degrees in a quarter of an hour, and the intends to take up his residence permanently in the patient Orange River has frequently been known to rise as much as colony, it would seem of little use to come out here, except twenty feet in one night. On summer mornings there is in the very first stages of the disease. Moreover, unless a frequently a thick mist, which hangs over the face of the patient has gained a certain amount of strength before his country for some time, and this should be carefully avoided arrival in the colony, he will not be able to stand the fatigue by invalids. The heat in summer also is very intense, and incidental to all travelling out here, nor put up with the this forms the great objection to Bloemfontein as a summer accommodation which he will find on his way, and I think I residence, though I doubt whether, as a winter residence, have shown that when he is here he must be prepared to there is any better place in the whole of South Africa. with a fair amount of cold and bad weather. The put up The best way of reaching Bloemfontein and the Free out seems generally to have a beneficial effect, but State is by way of Port Elizabeth; for though it may be voyage this is not as in some instances patients the reached by transport waggon from Cape Town to the suffer so always from case, sea-sickness as to arrive here weaker severely Diamond-fields, and by post cart from there, yet this is a than when they left England, and this is a point which much longer and more fatiguing route. The best route is always to be taken into consideration. from Port Elizabeth by means of Cobb and Cole’s coaches. ought I believe that, taking the whole of the colony into consiThese coaches pass through Grahamstown and Cradock to deration, there can be few better climates in the world than Philippolis, whence the remainder of the journey may can be found here, but my object in these letters has been be easily accomplished either by post or private cart. Port to give the medical profession and the public generally a Elizabeth (which it may not be altogether superfluous to more definite idea of the state of things out here than they mention is the same as Algoa Bay) can of course be easily usually possess, so that this colony may, by the exercise of reached by steamer from Cape Town, though it is generally due and care, be made more effective than it foresight a very rough and trying passage, but invalids must be hitherto has been as a sanatorium for invalids. careful not to spend more than a day or two at Port Cape of Good Hope, Nov. 1872. Elizabeth. Port Elizabeth is, without exception, the worst place for consumptives in the whole of the Cape colony, and I should think that few worse places could be found in the whole world. This is a fact which should be more widely known among the medical profession in England than it would MR. W. N. CHIPPERFIELD. seem to be, as at present many patients in various stages of pulmonary disease are sent out to Port Elizabeth in ON the 22nd of May Madras lost one of her ablest practhe hope of obtaining employment there, who find on titioners in Mr. W. N. Chipperfield, superintendent of the their arrival that their only hope of retaining whatever The deceased gentleman had for some Eye Infirmary. good they may have obtained from the voyage out is to months been in precarious health, and it was, we believe, move on at once to places further up the country, where his have to intention chance indeed of would stand little applied for leave of absence, but he they getting very in the of his public duties and of on employment of any description. discharge struggled At Port Elizabeth the wind seems to blow always, and his responsibilities in private practice till an apoplectic always in one of two directions, either from the north-west seizure carried him off. At about 11 A.M. paralysis of the from the land, or from the south-east from the sea. The right arm and leg appeared, soon followed by unconsciousnorth-west wind is always very strong and boisterous ness and death. a
Obituary.