r 51 O LIBRARY OF COI 014 543 1 F 370 .D32 Copy 1 THE Climate and Health Gondltions OF THE State of Jo^sinNn. "What kind of eWnate has the im- migrant to eocpect, and what are the health conditions in JLoitisiana?*' By PROFESSOR J^ HANNO DEILER, OF TULANE UNIVERSITY. THE CUM ATE AND HEALTH CONDITIONS OF Tlli: STATE OF LOUISIANA. By professor J. HANNO DEILER, of Tulane Uni- versity, President of the New Orleans Gekman Society for the Protection op Immigrants. Translated from New Orleans Deutsche Zeitung, May 19, 1895. " What kind of climate has the immigrant to expect, and what are the health conditions in Louisiana?" This is one of the most important points about which those who intend to settle in this State desire information. Above all other requirements for a good cli- mate the difference between summer-heat and winter-cold should not be too great. How New (Orleans and Shreveport, the representative cities of South and North Louisiana, stand in this re- spect may be seen from the following table, which 1 have prepared for the pamphlet of the '' German Society of New Orleans " from statements of the United States Weather Bureau up to Aug. 31, 1894 : The difference in temperature between the coldest and hottest day of the year was as follows : De^. F. Deg, F. Key West, Fla 59 Pittsburg, Pa 115 San Diego, Cal 69 Cincinnati, Ohio lit) New Orleans, La 84 Chicago 123 Pensacola, Fla 84 Columbus, Ohio 123 Sacramento, Cal.. 89 Louisville, Ky 125 Jacksonville, Fla 89 St. Louis, Mo 128 Mobile, Ala 90 Denver, Col 134 Atlanta, Ga 102 Des Moines, la 134 Montgomery, Ala 102 Dubuque, la 134 Shreveport, La 106 Leavenworth, Kan. ...136 New York City 106 Omaha, Neb 138 Philadelphia, Pa 107 St. Paul, Minn 141 Baltimore, Md 108 Yankton, S. Dak 141 Little Rock, Ark 108 Valentine, Neb 144 Memphis, Tenn 110 Ft. Washakie, Wyo..l54 Santa Fe, N. M 110 Ft. Buford, N. Dak..l56 Nashville, Tenn 114 St. Vincent, Minn 157 Portland, Me 114 Poplar River, Mont .173 Boston, Mass 115 Y'h^^ Marous Bdnjamia, Michigan Max. In. 37 Min. In. 32 Iowa '• 37 *•' 36 Nebraska - 33 " 17 Wisconsin " 32 ^' 31 Minnesota " 32 '• 16 S.Dakota -' 27 ^' — California " 27 '' 11 N. Dakota " 19 " 13 Arizona " 16 " 3 Montana '^ 15 '' 10 Idaho '' 13 ^' — Wyoming -' 11 " 8 In order to save space, we shall not mention all the States, but it may be remarked that the maxi- mum of Louisiana (64 inches iu New Orleans) is exceeded only by two stations : Hatteras, North Carrolina, 69 inches, and Tatoosch Island, Wash- ington, 92 inches. From the above official table, it is seen that Lou- isiana possesses a climate with less extremes than most of the other states of the Union — a mild winter, with hardly any snow and very little ice ; a summer-temperature cooled by the Gulf breeze, and more bearable than that of many other parts of the country, and copious rains, which secure to the farmer abundant crops every year. Besides the climate, the health conditions of a state are of great importance to home-seekers. Statistics show that the death rate among the white population of the State of Louisiana is 15.12 per 1000 that is to say, from 66 white per- sons one death is reported annually. This death- rate is exceeded by many states, in which Lou- isiana has been spoken of as being a most un- healthy region. Reference is made to the follow- ing states with their death-rates per 1000. Louisiana 15.12 Maryland 16.08 Delaware 16.47 New Mexico 16.82 New Hampshire 17.43 Connecticut 18.97 District of Columbia 19.67 Massachusetts 19.89 New York (State) 20.04 New Jersey 20.44 Rhode Island 21.55 It appears from the above that i!ie whites of JiOUisiana are niiKth better situated than the peo- ple of the '^ healthful '' States of Maryland. Dela- ware, ISTew Hampshire, New Mexico, Connecticut, etc. Even Washington, the capital of the country, the city of palaces and the home of the National Board of Health, which annually orders a hunt after •'^germs"' in New Orleans, can not compare with UvS. The same may be said of Massachusetts, the "educated'" state, and "'last but not least" of the great State of New York. They can not show health statistics like ours. It seems that we may be well satisfied with the death-rate of the whites in Louisiana and are fully justified in recommending our state to ,^uch of our countrymen as are inclined to settle in the South. In regard to the principal causes of death, it can be said that so far the census reports only of the largest cities have been published and it is found that over 12 per cent, of the deaths in New Or- leans are caused by Consumption. How other cities and countries stand in this respect, the following table shows : New Orleans 12.10 Per cent. (Termany 12.70 " " Louisville. Ky 12.89 " " New YorkOi'ty 13.53 " - Providence, R. 1 13.57 " " Boston, Mass 15.15 " " Belgium 18.20 " " Russia 19.60 - " It is well known that every year many people in the last stages of consumption come here from the North to escape the severe cold of the Northern winter, and die here. In spite of this it is to be seen that New Orleans shows a very small percentage, as it naturally should, because con- sumption is a disease of the Northern climate and of large manufacturing cities, where conditions prevail, which, fortunately, are not known here. No one need stay awa}' from Louisiana on account of consumption. The next greatest percentage of deaths is caused by DiarrhcraJ Diseases, and New Orleans is quoted with 10. H7 percent.; other «ities. as fol- lows : New Orleans 10.37 Pei- cent. New York 10.52 •' - Detroit 11.27 " •' Baltimore 12.40 •' '' ttt. Paul, Minn 13.52 •• " Pneumonia follows with 4.97 per cent, of all deaths in New Orleans, against other cities and countries, as follows : Germany 4.00 Per cent. Belgium 4.50 " New Orleans 4.97 " '* England 5.10 " " Italy 5.40 '• '• Holland 5.70 ^' - Switzerland 6.00 " '• Scandinavia 7.10 " '• France 7.20 " " St. Louis 7.39 '• Chicago 8.85 " '• Cincinnati 9.39 " Boston 10.13 " '' IJussia 11.50 '• '• And now for the notorious Malarial Fever. The census reports as published contain only the laigest cities, and New Orleans appears with 4.26 per cent, of all deaths, the highest fever rate. During the census year, there died in New Orleans 292 persons of Malarial Fever, that is, one person out of every 828. If consumption kills 70 out of 100 needle mak- ers, or 63 lilecutters, or 48 lithographers. 37 watchmakers, 25 painters and weavers, 19 shoe- makers, 14 carpenters, 11 brewers and 7 bakers and butchers in each hundred, is this a warning against engaging in such trades? And New Orleans shoics only one death from Malarial Fever out of every 828 persons! From France are reported 7 deaths out of 100. caused by Typhoid; from Germany, 4:}^. >Vho would think of warning people not to go to Ger- many or France for this reason? New Orleans has less deaths from Malaria thau the summer, and that only the negro can stand the heat. As far as the heat is concerned, the truth has heen stated ahove; in regard to labor it should be said that there are certain people who can never work, because they do not icant to — during the summer it is too hot and during the winter too cold for them, and they are willing to believe that only the negro can stand the heat. Our German gardeners and farmers, as well as thousands of other nationalities, have performed labor in garden and field for many years. They need no negroes and feel so comfortable that they prefer the sunmier to the winter. On ex- tremely hot days they work in the field only during the morning and afternoon hours, " lay- ing off"' during the midday heat as they do in other sections under similar conditions. Oases of sunstroke are reported from N^orthern and Western cities bj'the half-hundred; they oc- cur here but seldom. An important factor in describing the different climates is the statistics of rainfall^ as the work of the farmer can not be successful without rain. It is safe to say that Louisiana is a land richly blessed in this respect. In making comparisons with other States it should be remembered that in Louisiana rainwater alone has to be dealt with, while in the Northern States the amount of snow-water is included. Furthermore, it should be remembered that the rainfall in different parts of a state is different, and that, therefore, whenever the figures are at hand the minimum and maximum are stated. The States are arranged in the order as the maximum was reported, and fractions have been left out. Bainfall and Snoiu- Water from September 1, 1893, to August 31, 1894: Louisiana Max. In. 64 Min. In. 52 Oregon •' 49 •• 9 Missouri '' 48 '• 38 Kentucky '' 46 " — Texas '• 45 '• 10 Indiana '• 44 '• — Illinois " 43 '• 36 Ohio '' 41 " 31 Kansas '' 38 " 20 Thus we see the State of Louisiana is blessed with a uniform temperature, and can not only compare favorably with other states, but is. in this respect, far ahead of most of them. Ice appears here very seldom, and with the ex- ception of last winter (1894-5), when the se- verest cold weather prevailed everywhere, Xew Orleans has only once in twenty years had a sutR- cient quantity of snow to allow the people for a few hours the novel sport of snow-balling, which many preceding generations had missed. Regarding the Heat of Summer in Louisiana there prevails in many parts a totally ecK)neous opinion. It is believed that it must be warmer here than in other States because Louisiana is located farther south. Such reasoning is utterly false; living in close proximity to the Mexican Gulf, and having during the months of March, April, May, June, July and August almost constantly south winds, we always have a cooling sea breeze. It is a well known fact that residences with sufficient openings toward the south are always preferred. In consideration of the above, it is not astonish- ing that during the summer of 1894 the highest re- ported temperature in New Orleans was only 99 deg. Fahrenheit, against — 100 in New York, Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul. 101 in La Crosse, Wis., and San Diego, Cal. 102 in Philadelphia, Baltimore, Boston, Lynch- burg and Norfolk. 103 in Columbus, O.. and Wilmington, Del. ' 104 in Cincinnati. 105 in Louisville. 106 in St. Louis, Mo., Omaha, and Valentine, Neb. 107 in Montgomery, Ala., Leavenworth, Kan., Boise City, Idaho, North Platte, Neb.. Fort Bu- fort, N. D., and Yankton, S. D. 108 in Sacramento, Cal., and Fort Elliott, Tex. 110 in Poplar River. Mon. 113 in El Paso, Tex. 114 in Red Bluff. Cal., and 118 in Yuma, Arizona. Another widespread error is the impression that a white man can not work in this climate during Germany fiom Typhoid. Besides this the condi- tions in the rural portions vvliere the settlers are to oo, are much more favorable than in the city, and former reports show that liOuisiana has suf- fered less from Malaria than our neighbouring- states. Alabama, Mississippi and Arkansas. There- fore the final statements of the census bureau regarding the fever rate in Louisiana may be awaited without fear, which reports, H is to be hoped, may soon be published. Attention is next called to the percentage of deaths resulting from Typhoid Fever, viz. : Xew Orleans 0.65 Per cent. Baltimore ].87 '' San Francisco 2.35 •' Philadelphia 3.24 '- Chicago 3.42 •' Louisville 3.47 " St. Paul 4.10 '' Germany 4.50 •• Belgium 4.60 '• Russia 4.80 '^ Pittsburg 5.83 " France 7.20 '' It is hardly necessary to refer to Yellow Fever. It was once thought to be indigenous, but the fact that there has been no Yellow Fever here for the past seventeen years proves that this is an error, and that our excellent and effective quarantine system, instituted by Dr. Holt, will continue to prevent its re-introduction. The result of these reflections upon the health and climatic conditions of the State of Louisiana, is that no fear need be entertained when a com- parison of the statistics of Louisiana is made with the statistics of any of the American States or any of the European countries; and every person look- ing for a new home may safely turn his footsteps toward Louisiana without fear of any great dan- ifer to hU health and life. LIBRftRY OF CONGRESS