New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-08-01
TAN AND SUNBUKN.
REJECTS OF LIGHT AND HEAT UPON IHE
HUMAN SKIN.

modern scientific Investigations NOW
many interesting facts. Contrary " la.
popular belief that sunburn was que 10 u,1 ~.
q, tho sun. It has now been shown that II Is .ne
800, ,;ght chiefly which affects the skin Tnat
o,oro .urburn NAV be produced without hea'
hos boon nroved by the fact that persons GA
nosed TO strong sunlight on the tops Oh inouN
taips at extremely low temperatures, nave oeen
burned lust as il they had undergone the sun
hoo, az we'll. Alpine travellers ana all WIZ
have taken long journeys over the $50" nav.
,a tho experience of being painfully purneu
nv the reflected light from the whi.e' sh'''in.e
surface and sunburn from rehect''hS oN
water Is equally well known. Ihat neat "'Ne
400, NOT nroduce the effect is clear from n'ahS
oviderces. Persons exposed to the hish 'e"
roratures which prevail in the frerocms vi OCEAN
steamers in deep mines ana other p"'e'' ~
not become tanned and burned al '"'
manner as those who work IN the suii'
According to the present theory, then' sun
ian is produced by the actinic rays
OF the suns light-that is, those rays VIM"
sc, tho mower of affecting chemically CERTAIN
| substances upon which they fall. In pho.oe
nbv II is well known shat the blue or Vioie' rays
q, light have far more effect upon the seiiSi'',o
| n,ate than the red rays and recent experiments
have tended to show that TINS IL a'so 'lu@ -,
garding the rays and the human Skill "' a.
| neriments have been conducted WITH u'e'.
| ,o.,a GLASS; screens placed between the light
and the skin Red glass, according 10 'ne p'
c;nles Of physics allows the red light rays ~
nass through it freely, while reJectihe 'he .o
Elementary blue rays. In the Same way ~
glass admits the ble or violet rays anu
e. rod Thus as the red rays have been SHOWN
| IN have the least chemical power, any leu QUIZ
stance which screened .he skin, allowing ohiy
| har
nenetrate would be the most effective pro'ec'ioii
.,r,, sr,hurn A rather amusing but we'll
authenticated instance Is PROOF Oh 'h''' -
| woman who was travelling on foot with party
| ., tourists wore a waict which had ALTERNATE
| hroad strpes OF white and red After long eA-
| rosure IN the sunlight she found that she hao
been burned through the material OF the waS''
and to her utter establishment, that 'he ou."
was in well-marked stripes-ntense uhuer INC
white bars of the cloth, and scarcely perceP''o'o
under the red ones. (White, "hlch a''o"' @"
rays to pass through it, is pracucaly IKE ho
screen at alb This experience wouiu ii'uica'e
that red wells, for instances would De the oe".
TO protect the face, and that the oid-iashioneu
blue wells worn a few years ago "ei' VI Wv
most undesirable color possible.
That mart Of the skin which receives the che"-
teal action of the light rays so as to produce sum
hurn tan or freckles is the pigment or coiorine
,natter This varies greatly in sensitiveness III
different persons not always being governed ny
the complexion although, as rule, piohues anu
red-hared persons are more SUBJECT 10 suhouin
than others. Just why some people puih ieu'
while others freckle or tan, does not Seem u ue
, definitely known; doctors usually say 'ha' .he
difference is due merely TO the varying qualities
of skins Generally after months OF exposure
70 tho SIM any skin becomes hardened TO ltS ell
fects. takes on a permanent brown or bronze
color and is not changed thereafter by any
amount of additional expos Ire. But there are
executions to this rule. There is an old hsner-
man down on the Great South Bay, VINO, thoueh
he has lived in the open air all his life is contin-
ualv being burned afresh by the suns rays
Year after year his face peels and becomes bore
: sevaraI times in a season; the skin has never
boon able TO accus.om itself to the burning sun
: light.
THE darkenng of the pigment in the skn'
said a physician, lis an effort OF nature 10 IN
terpose a defence against the inflaminS hgnt
RAYS The darker the surface upon which they
fall the more difficult is it for them to pass
through and injure the sensitive parts beneath
Sunburn however, does not do any real harm
to the skin; in fact the light and air are rather
he nefcial than otherwise, although the first et-
feet if there is swelling and extreme heat, IS
, rather painful"
When asked why wind Otter seemed to produce
burn as readily as sunlight, the doctor said:
THE wind, by irritating the skin, produces
, certain amount of congestion, and thus predis-
| poses to the effect of the sunlight When the
l