Rare Late 19th Century American Climate Atlas --Motivated By The Study of Tuberculosis
Rare separately publish "Climatic Atlas," published by Charles Denison, MD., a pioneer in the history of medical topography and disease, known for his study of tuberculosis.
A fascinating group of 5 maps of the United States, one for each season (winter, spring, summer, fall) and one general map for the year. The maps note that they include "a rule for even division of climate, based upon the averages of the combined atmospheric humidities in the United States." The maps are color coded, with seasonal and annual statistical tables, and a key explaining colors, arrows and isotherms.
The following advertisement appeared in Popular Science Monthly, May 1885.
Annual and Seasonal Climatic Maps of the United States. By Charles Denison, Denver, Colorado. Chicago: Rand, McNally & Co. Five Maps, in Colors, variously mounted.
These maps are compiled from the returns of the Signal-Service Office, and are designed to show, graphically, by an equable standard and on impartial authority, chiefly, the average amount of cloudiness and precipitation at every place in the United States, for the year and for each season. In addition to this, they give the isothermal lines, the directions of prevailing winds, and of winds that usually and those that do not usually bring rain or snow, elevation above the sea, location of mineral springs, annual, monthly, and daily ranges of temperature, and other information that can be given graphically, or in a table, relating to the climatology of our country. The maps can be had separately, or, as in the case of the set submitted to us for examination, mounted on opposite sides of the same sheet.
Charles Denison, M.D. (1845-1909) was a prominent Denver physician and leader in the study and treatment of tuberculosis. He was an early Colorado physician and Professor of Diseases of the Chest and Climatology at the University of Denver, 1881-1885. Denison came to Colorado in 1873 with tuberculosis and was so impressed with the therapeutic effect of the Colorado climate he developed a strong interest in the effect of climate on health and disease. He published several classic articles and books on this subject." He is the namesake for the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center's Charles Denison Memorial Library.
Charles Denison played a very important role in the history of medical topography and disease due to his work as a physician focused on tuberculosis or consumption patients. During the 1870s, Denison moved to the Denver, Colorado area and opened up a treatment facility where he promoted the Denver area for people afflicted with the deadlier forms of tuberculosis. About this same time, a Jewish group initiated a similar facility serving the same population of individuals back east. In 1877 Denison produced a map of the Rocky Mountains area, focusing on the region within and just east of the Rockies. This was part of his book, Rocky Mountain Health Resorts, the first edition of which came out that same year. A few years later, in 1881, Denison published the second edition of his book, with a detailed map of a band of the United States located on and just east of the Rocky Mountains, extending from Wyoming on down to southern Texas. This map provides some fairly detailed depictions of the places frequented for health related reasons. These places were not only devoted to clean air for the purposes of treating tuberculosis, but also places where the many mineral springs, cold and hot, of the Rocky Mountains could be found in this part of the country.
Rarity
We were unable to find any examples of the atlas or maps offered at auction or in dealer catalogs.
Brian Altonen, Charles Denison – Rocky Mountain Health Resorts (1877, 1881) https://brianaltonenmph.com/gis/historical-disease-maps/charles-denison-rocky-mountain-health-resorts-1881/
Charles Denison, M.D. (1845-1909) was a prominent Denver physician and leader in the study and treatment of tuberculosis. He was an early Colorado physician and Professor of Diseases of the Chest and Climatology at the University of Denver, 1881-1885. Dension came to Colorado in 1873 with tuberculosis and was so impressed with the therapeutic effect of the Colorado climate he developed a strong interest in the effect of climate on health and disease. He published several classic articles and books on this subject." He is the namesake for the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center's Charles Denison Memorial Library.
Charles Denison played a very important role in the history of medical topography and disease due to his work as a physician focused on tuberculosis or consumption patients. During the 1870s, Denison moved to the Denver, Colorado area and opened up a treatment facility where he promoted the Denver area for people afflicted with the deadlier forms of tuberculosis. About this same time, a Jewish group initiated a similar facility serving the same population of individuals back east. In 1877 Denison produced a map of the Rocky Mountains area, focusing on the region within and just east of the Rockies. This was part of his book, Rocky Mountain Health Resorts, the first edition of which came out that same year. A few years later, in 1881, Denison published the second edition of his book, with a detailed map of a band of the United States located on and just east of the Rocky Mountains, extending from Wyoming on down to southern Texas. This map provides some fairly detailed depictions of the places frequented for health related reasons. These places were not only devoted to clean air for the purposes of treating tuberculosis, but also places where the many mineral springs, cold and hot, of the Rocky Mountains could be found in this part of the country.