Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1894-03-15

The influence Of the SUMS rays OF
the color of the skin is a matter Of
common knowledge, says a writer il
the Paris edition of the New York
Herald, and every physician has beer
called to see the result of exposure tx
light on the skin of the face of one
of his Lady patients tanned by the
sea breezes or freckled by the burn
Ing sun. This fact of course is known
to every one, and no great amount Oh
learning Is necessary to advise such
patients to protect their faces against
the intense action Of the sun.
If now in normal condition the dam
age done by too much light is a mat
ter of common observation, it Is easy
to understand that i'll disease Of the
skin this perniclouS influence is greater
stlll, and that attempts have been
made to overcome it by a logical and
contrary means, which is to keep in
the dark the portions Of the body that
needs protection. 1t is, of course, also
known that those persons who on ac-
count OF their calling, live in more or
less profound darkness, have pallid
compilations, in strong contrast to the
brown faces of persons living in the
open air, exposed at the same time to
the more or less ardent rays of the
sun, as the notion Of heat cannot be
neglected in the question.
In view of these facts it is rot a
matter for establishment that very
ancient process, to which | called the
attention of my readers a short time
ago and which NJ. FInsen, of Copen-
hagen, recommends most particularly.
should have been brought 10 hight
again, consisting in protecting small
pox patients against light or, more ex-
acuy, against all chemical rays other
than the red
Smallpox, we all know, leaves in
deuDIe marks after IT very often. and
every physician who has had ANYTHING
to do with this disease has racked his
Drains FOR some means to do away
with the ugly marks it leaves, which
in some cases are almost a deformi1y
The question, therefore. is ALWAYS
one that IS open, and l thought
that this method of treatment de-
served to be widely known and tested
In order that we should be able to
form an exact opinion as to its true
value.
Several Paris hospital physicians
thought as l did on the question. and
M. tlnsen'S method has been tested at
AlberyillieTs with the most scrupulous
attention. Quite variety of treat
ments were used in the two thousand
cases that were taken care of during
1893, and among them M. Finsen's,
OUT lt was found that the patients
left the dark rooms with the same
marks as when treated by the other
methods.
The conditions required by NJ. Fin
sen were realized by placing the pa
TENTS in very small rooms, to which
the light had access only by passing
through red window panes and cur
tains.
The results, therefore, obtained at
AuberYllierS do not subStantiate the
optimistic opinion of NJ. Finsen, as the
patients treated in the rooms lighted
Al the ordinary way and in those with
the red light were found | to go
through the evolution of the disease in
an exactly similar way, some very
easily and others more seriously ac-
cordtng to the nature of the case.
1t is, therefore, unfortunately true
trp fuoonn of
p0x mas not yet been found, and even
when protected from ordinary light
it. nevertheless, remains distiguring
and dangerous disease. This is there
fore not means to be counted on and
the disappointment would be great for
any patient or physician who placed
ais hopes on it.
This explains the reserve with which
| speak or all innovations in medicine.
think it my duty to call the attention
OF my readers to them, but refrain
from recommending them until they
have stood the conclusive test Of ex-
perienoe and time.
tuberculosis, the deadlest of dis
eases, continues to make its rayages.
III spite of all efforts made to protect
the human race from it; yet the agent
of contamination lis perfectly well
KNOWN. We appear to be powerless
to withstand the onset Of this terrible
bacillus, and 1t Is not always easy TO
say whence 1t comes and through
what channel it has attacked us.
Since tuberculosis IS an almost mex
orable and incurable disease, it is
sef-eV1dent that the question of
prophylaNis is more important than
any other, and that the fundamental
point in the question is to avoid the
disease.
1t has seemed to a German physi-
dan, NJ. Vollant, that the aetiology
OF tetanus throws some light on this
quesuon. Since tetanus is supposed
TO spring from the soil and since the
vehicle OF the disease is the dirt in
the streets and gardens contaminated
by a special germ, he sees no reason
why tuberculosis as well should NOT
have in large measure a similar
origin in the soil.
Animals often contract tuberculosis
by inhalation, because they are in con.
tact with soiland it seems equally eyi
dent that children playing ON the
ground and making mud pies may con
tract 1T i'm tha anna WOW obSorbiDo Al;