Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1879-07-22

by any means be made speedily to recover
Window blinds can always moderate thu
light of light ward, but the gloom of darl
wards is irremediahle. We can generate
warmth; we cannot generate daylight o.
the purifying effects Of the suns rays.
The Dictionary of Materia Medica,
of Murat and De Lens, which says: 1--WE
cannot doubt that the influence of light
is one of the conditions most indispensa-
bic to health, and that it may consequent.
" be usefully employed by the therapeut-
ist. II acts as a powerful eScitant of the
organism, and particularly of the func,
tions of the skin, in cases of general
atony, of chlorosis, Of hcophlegmasia, OF
scurvey; in ricketts,, in chronic engorge-
ment of the viscera; it is, above all,
highly useful in oonvalescence."
A recent and practical English writer,
in A. Winter Blyth's Dictionary of Hy-
giene and Public HEALTH treats this
question as follows: 1.-The direct rays OF
the sun are great remedial and preventive
agents in certain diseases, such as scrot-
ula, phthisis, and ricketts,.
Among the records of particular cases,
a striking one is furnished by the cele-
brated Baron Dupuytren. A Partisan
lady who had many physicians, none OF
whom could cope with the complication
of diseases which afflicted her, applied to
the Baron as a last resort. Being unable
to suggest any drug treatment which she
had not already tried in vain, he con-
tented himself with directing that she be
removed from the dismal rooms in which
she had been living to a brighter part OF
the city, and exposed as much as possible
to the light. The result Of this was the
complete recovery of the patient.
J. +. Cauvin cites the case Of college
classmate. aged twenty-three years, who
suffered from severe attack Of acute
articular rheumatism. The swelling of
the knee and ankle joint were persistent,
defied all treatment, and made the use of
mis- legs impossible. At last insulation
was employed, the solar rays being con-
centrated upon the diseased parts with
the result of an entire recovery.
in another instance he removed a poor
workman, his wife and family of eight
children from their dark quarters in the
city, 10 a farm in the county, where they
were received through charity, and though
their food was only brown bread and a
little soup each day, he says: AT the
end of a week, their entire systems, which
were wasting away daily, took turn
towards good health. 1t was the month
Of April, and the weather was dry. Ev-
cry day | ordered them to remain in the
sun alongside of wall as long as posi-
bic. | made them cleanse their bodies at
frequent intervals with warm water and
soap in order that they might be better
penetrated by the solar rays and the pure
air. At the end of a month and half
I saw the disappearance of the affections
from which they had suffered. The faith
er had an indolent Scrofulous opthalmia.
Despite the acute character which this
took at the beginning, / directed him 10
persist in his work in the open air and
sunshine, being careful merely TO have
him wear an eye-shade of green taffeta.
The vital forces regulated by insulation,
led to a perfect cure. The scurvy or
uloerous eruptions with which three Of
the children were covered, likewise dis
appeared. OF the younger children, one
had an obstinate whooping- cough; in two
Others the glandular system was scrofu-
lousy congeSted. | made them lie in the
sun during several hours each day, and
they were perfectly cured"
Cauvin quotes Professor Dubois, one
of the faculty at that time, as saying,
when some miserable little wretches had
been brought by the parents before the
class for treatment: Take these children
10 the country, feed them as well as you
can, but above all roast them-roast them
in the sun.
The late David Urquhart, through
whose fundamentally Turkish bathing
was re-established in Western Europe,
was also believer in insulation, and has
recorded the case of a woman who was
abandoned to die of consumption by her
physicians, but whose health was restored
BY diyesting her of tight and dark cloth
ing, and making her lie in the sun every
hour that he Shone. The later years OF
Mr.. Urquhart's life were passed IN the
Swiss Alps in endeavoring 10 ameEorate
the suferings incident TO insufficient sun
shine. 1t is well known to visitors OF
those regions that in the deep valleys the
sun shines only few hours each day,
and, as a consequence, the inhabitants
suffer terribly from Scrofula and other dis
eases. The women, almost without ex-
ception, are deformed by huge goitres
which hang pendulous from their neck'
unless supported by sings. A consider.
able portion of the males are idiots
Higher up the sides of the mountains the
inhabitants are remarkably hardy, and
are well developed mentally and physic.
ally. The only difference in the mode O
life is the greater amount Of sunshine
and when these poor unfortunates below
are carried up the mountains, they i'm
prove with great rapidity.
A case of dyspepsia, with much ema.
citation, gained twenty pounds in six weeks
by the sun treatment. In regard to In
crease of weight, it should be observed