The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-03-05
[From the Scientific Americana ;
iTRie BYue.esIass Dcceptlon.

,iTRie B7ue.esIass Deception. /.
4 In.or,r lass issue we reviewed the alleged
capabilities Of sunlight filtered through blue
glass IN causing plants to grow, etc., and by
reference to numerous experiments: we
reached the conclusion that the light trans
mitted through the violet-bIue glass Is no.
thing more than normal sunlight diminished
Iinintensity. We propose in the following
to finish our. discussion by examining into
the effects Of light and darkness upon or
ganisms; and ne may especially here recall
the fact that General Pleasonton' claims that
not only does the blue glass stimulate
growth, but that 1t is positive remedial
agent for such severe ailments, as spinal
meningitis, nervous irritation and exhaus-
ton, rheumatism, hemorrhage OF elungsj
deafness. partial paralysis, shock due TO se-
we're confusion, and others, OF all OF which
he cites cases. - -t..',.''.'
| The theory that various colored lights
exercise different effects on the human sys-
tenn Is an old one. In 1881, DR.. Newberry,
of this city, asserted that yellow light
stimulates the nervous, pink the nutritiEe,
and blue the 1ocomStiye temperament. And
recently Dr.. Ponza, an Italian physician,
has asserted that lunatics are greatly al
fected by being placed in different colored
rooms. Red light, Dr. Ponza says. removes
feelings of depression, blue light induces
calmness, and by violet light crazy person
was in one day cured.
1t is ougbly-demonstrated fact that
light is an important vital stlmulant; ana
that, II its operation be excluded, the 'de-
yelopment Of the healthy bodily structure
! is arrested. Naturalists tell us that in the
absence OF light the transformation OF n
tadpole into a frog is stopped, and the rep
| tile remains 4 tadpole. Plants In darkness
become blanched and stunned in growth;
the process of fixing the carbon in their
tissues is arrested, q modification OF the
coloring principle takes place, and they ap-
near white instead OF green. The sad ef-
fects OF deprivation OF sunlight are espe-
cially observable among those who i've IN
crowded alleys or cellars, or who work in
mines, where the light Of the sun seldom or
never penetrates. The total exclusion OF
the SUMS beams produces an impoverished
and disordered state of the blood, emacla-
ton, muscular debility, and the diseases
due to imperfect nutrition.
On the other hand, it is known that Tor
certain purposes darkness or shaded light
IS advantageous to the bodily condition.
Fowls, for instance, may be fattened much
more rapidly in the dark, and it would
seem that the absence OF light exercises
very great influence over the power pos
sessed by food in increasing the size OF
animals. It likewise seems to exercise
soothing and quieting influence, increasing
the disposition Of animals to take rest,
making less food necessary, and causing
them to store up more nutriment in the
form OF fat and muscle. Now, II the organ
ism to be treated is subjected to light, all OF
which is filtered through blue violet glass,
then, as we have previously demonstrated,
it is in light which is considerably shaded.
And very probably to this cause-and not
at all to the peculiar hue OF the Lights to
be attributed the quieting influence on ner-
Vous and insane people which DR.. PonZa
has remarked.
But General Pleasonton does not use
blue-violet glass alone. On the contrary,
he employs combination OF blue-light and
pure sunlight, the latter very much prepon-
derating. In his grapery, for example, only
every eighth row Of panes is blue. The
ming ged light consequently is merely pure
sunlight, very slightly shaded, and the anil
NAL or plant exposed simply takes sum
bath-the Soiariun OF the anclents, VINO,
knowing the vivifying influences OF the sum
beams, had terrices built on the tops OF
their houses so that they might bask III
L
uuently recommended by physicians for
nervous diseases. DIR. Hammond, in one
of his lectures, says "In convalescence
from almost all diseases it acts, unless too
intense or too long continued, as most
healthful stimulant, both to the nervous
and physical systems. ; The deli
rum and weakness, by no means seldom
met with in convalescents kept in darkness,
disappear like magic when the rays OF the
sun are allowed to enter the chamber"
10 recapitulate in brief, General Plea
sonton's claims, of any superior powers for
blue glass on account OF the color which it
produces in transmitted light, are, when
tested by the result of previous investiga-
tions, unfounded. In some instances,
where it is desirable to reduce the intensity
of the light, blue glass may be used; but
any other mode Of shading the light, as by
ground glass, thin curtains, ETC., would
without doubt serve equally as well. The
cures produced are ascribable to two
causes First, to the healthy influence OF
the sun bath; and secondly, to the very
powerful influence OF the patients lmagl-
nation. There are abundant cases known
where imagination has so powerfully al
fected the body as to cause death.
Experiments upon criminals have shown
that in one instance, where person was
placed in a bed which, lie was informed,
had Just been vacated by a cholera-patien
(but which had noD, he exhibited all the
symptoms of that disease. Another person
is reported to have shown all the signs OF
collapse from loss Of blood from the suppo-
sitious idea that be was bleeding to death.
AS regards the animals fattened under the
glass all the circumstances go to show that
the result was due to their forced qules-
cence, their shelter from the weather, and
their free exposure to the sun.
It Is hardly necessary to add that, in our