d
literally causes "the hair to stand on end." The writer has on various
occasions seen a string of horses standing close together at a
watering-trough, drinking, so full of electricity that their manes and
tails were spread out and floated in the air, and the long hairs drawn
by magnetic attraction from one animal to the other all down the line
in a spontaneous effort to complete a circuit. There are times when
the free electricity in the air is so abundant that every object
becomes charged with the fluid, and it cannot escape fast enough or
find "a way out" by any adequate conductor. The effects of such an
excess of electricity is decidedly unpleasant on the nerves, and causes
annoying irritability and nervousness.

The hot sun sometimes blisters the skin and burns the complexion to a
rich, nut-brown color, but the air always feels soft and balmy, and
usually blows only in gentle zephyrs. The air has a pungent fragrance
which is peculiar to the desert, that is the mingled product of a
variety of resinous plants. The weather is uniformly pleasant, and the
elements are rarely violently disturbed.

In the older settled sections of our country, whenever there is any
sudden or extreme change in the weather of either heat or cold, wet or
dry, it is always followed by an increase of sickness and death. The
aged and invalid, who are sensitive and weak, suffer mostly, as they
feel every change in the weather. There is, perhaps, no place on earth
that can boast of a perfect climate, but the country that can show the
fewest and mildest extremes approaches nearest to the ideal. The
southwest is exceptionally favored in its climatic conditions, and is
beneficial to the majority of chronic invalids.

Atmospheric pressure is greatest near the earth's surface, and exerts a
controlling influence over the vital functions. Atmospheric pressure
is to the body what the governor is to the steam engine, or the
pendulum to the clock. It regulates vital action, insures safety and
lessens the wear and tear of machinery. Under its soothing influence
the number of respirations per minute are diminished, the heart beats
decreased in frequency, and the tired brain and nerves rested. It is
often better than medicine, and will sometimes give relief when all
other means fail.

Arizona has a diversity of altitudes, and therefore furnishes a variety
of climates. The elevations range from about sea level at Yuma to
nearly thirteen thou