Daily Honolulu press. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1886, 1885-10-20
CURED BY SUNLIGHT.
VALUE OF THE SUNS RAYS AS A
REMEDIAL AGENT.
What the Old Greeks and Romans
Thought Opinions of Modern Physi-
cians-Diseases Cured by Bodily
Exposure to Sunlight

Exposure to Sunlight.
III. Reynolds M. d., in chronological Journal
Sunlight Is almost as indispensable TO the
health Of living beings as TO plants The
effect OF deprivation OF light upon plants Is
we'll seen in the pale, long potato sprouts
which grow in dark cellars whore potatoes
have been left during the summer Tho
sunlight Is requisite to develop the coloring
matter OF plants and to develop sound and
healthy growth. Children and young girls
reared In darkened rooms are pale, habby,
and unhealthy, somewhat resembling the
potato sprouts which grow in the dark. The
more sunlight plant has, the more vigor-
Gus, healthy and strong it becomes.
Plants which are partly shut out from the
sunlight or beneath the deep shade Of trees,
or within the shade of buildings, make but
a feeble and sickly growth. Even fruit
which is shut out from the direct rays Of the
sun is pale in color, and is not so fine in fla
yer as that which Is exposed to the rays Of
the sun. The reddest apples are those grown
in the full blaze of the sunlight. and the
children which have the reddest cheeks and
the healthiest bodies are those reared out
doors In the sunshine
ESTEEMED BY THE ANCIENTs.
The ancients highly esteemed the sunlight
as conducive to health. 1t Is related by
Plutarch that when the youthful Alexander
visited Diogenes at Corinth he found the
famous philosopher lying TRANQUILITY In the
sun. The warrior kindly saluted him and
asked II he could do anything for him.
"Only stand little out of my sunshine
replied Diogenes. Diogenes was then three
score and ten, and age made the sunshine
doubly dear to him. According to Pliny, 1t
was common practice in Greece for old
mon to recruit their energies both mental
and physical, by exposing themselves naked
In the sun. Hippocrates recognized
cognized the reviving effects Of warmth
and sunlight on the aged by saying, "Old
men are double their age in winter and
younger in summer"
The old Romans esteemed the sunshine
Pliny, the elder, employed his leisure hours
after dinner in summer lying in the sun.
Pliny, the younger, at both his country
seats, had gardens thickly bordered with
hedges, where he could walk completely
nude thus exposing his whole body TO the
blaze Of the sun. Love Of sunshine was a
marked trait Of the old Romans Nearly
all the dwellings, were provided on the roofs
or southern walls with balconies or ter
races, where the occupants, sitting or re.
clining, could sun themselves all they
wished. Such use Of the sunshine is con-
ducve to the preservation Of the health.
ESSENTIAL TO DEVELOPMENT.
The value OF light in the development OF
animal organisms was shown by expert
ments OF DIR. w. f. Edwards, made many
years ago in France. He found that frogs
eggs placed In the dark were prevented
from developing, and that a tadpole kept in
a dark place. although 1t attained a large
size, did not change its form. DR.. Hammond
confirmed this result, as he found that while
kept in darkness the Transformation of the
tadpole was indefinitely postponed, but
when brought to the light it became
frog in few days. Something of tho
same effect is produced upon the human
race when deprived of sunlight DR..
Forbes Winslow says "The total exclusion
of the suns beams induces an impoverished
state Of the blood, muscular debility, drop
steal effusion, softening Of the bones, nerv
GUS excitability, irritability Of the heart
loss of appetite, consumption. physical de
formity, stunted growth, mental impair
ment, premature old age. The offspring oil
those SO unhappily trained are often de-
formed, weak, and puny, and are disposed
TO scrO1ulOuS a1octiOn5."
Thus it will be seen that a full supply oil
sunlight is needed to secure full develop
ment Of our physical organizations. An
other writer says: Scare should be taken
both in health and disease to insure sufii-
Gent amount of light, and it is impossible tc
rear well-formed, strong and robust chll
dren unless attention is paid to this require
ment. Sun-baths, or apartments in which
tha unla fall tho I.I,
are highly advantageous to health, and
rooms for this purpose could easily be con
structei In most of our city houses. Let u
then, to use the dying words OF Goethe
have "more light"
SUNLIGHT CURES DISEASE.
A recent English writer says: @The di
rect rays of the sun are great remedial and
preventative agents in certain disea ses such
as scrofula, phthisis, ricketts,, etc" Dr.
Warren says: "Secluslon from sunshine Ii
one Of the misfortune, OF our civilized life.
The same causes which make the potato
vines white and sickly when grown in dark
cellars, operate to produce the pale, sickly
girls that are reared in our parlors. Elk
pose either to the direct rays of the sun and
they begin to show color, health, and
strength. One Of the ablest lawyers in our
country, victim of long and hard brain
labor came to me year ago suffering with
partial paralysis. The right leg and hip
were reduced in slzs, With constant pain in
the loin. He was obliged, in coming up
stairs, to raise the left foot first on every
stair, dragging the right one after it. Pale
feeble, miserable. he told ms he had beer
failing several year. and closed with, MY
work is done. At 60 / find myself worl
out
II directed him to lie down under large
window, and to allow the sun to fall upor
every part OF his body, at first ten minute
day increasing the time until no could ex
pose himself to the direct rays of the sun
full hour. His habits were not essentially
altered In any other particular. In 81,
months be came running up stairs like
vigorous man of 40, and declared, with
sparkling eyes, have twenty years NOR,
of work in me- | have assiste many dys
peptics, neuralgia, rheumatic, and hypo
chondriacal people into health by the sun
cure" Numerous othor Instances of cure
OF diseases by exposure to the sunlight
might be given, but enough has been ctec
TO show the Importance Of sunlight both II
restoring TO health and in maintaining gooc
health