Omaha daily bee., 1899-11-06
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LIGHT AGAINST DRUGS.
Cure of Disease by Light becoming
EiNel Science.

Fixed Science.
There seems to be great reason for the be-
lief now growing In scientific circles that
phototherapy, or the cure OF diseases by
light, has at last emerged from the en-
pircal stage in which it has so long lin
gered. One of the greatest hindrances to
tho progress of the kindred science cleo
trotherapy, or the cure OF human ailme n g
by electricity, is that a large proportion of
the medical men who take 1t up-no matter
how earnestly-take too much for grant I'd
and in their enthusiasm fail to How up
and determine with a scientific method suf-
fciently unrelenting the electrical as well
as the physiological features Of their cases
The same hindrance has been particularly
potent in phototherapic investigation, on
which volumes of the loosest kinds of de-
ductions have been published. The reports
of the work OF Dr. Fnsen of Copenhagen
however, are most encouraging, and inGi-
cate that phototherapy is assuredly to find
a wide field of action in skin diseased of
superficial kinds, at all events, caused by
the presence of micro organisms. DR.. Fin
sen has been curing eruptive dizeases of
this character by concentrated light, by
which is meant tho concentration OF GER
tain desired rays Of sunlight, or Cf the cleo
trio arc light, upon the diseased tissue and
the exclusion from the tissue of rays which
havo been shown to be detrimental DR..
Finsen has for some time been treating skin
eruptions, especially those OF smallpox, by
red light excluding the blue, violet and
ultraviolet rays of light as injuriou1 to the
diseased parts and as tending to aggravlte
existing Inflammation. Conversely, in the
newer methcd, instead of disCarding the
blue, violet and ultra violet rays, he findc a
way of utilizing them, dispensing with the
red rays, which, because of their heat, are
undesirable in this capacity. In other words.
d.: FinSen runs the gamut CT the solar
spectrum and picks out from the elements
OF light whatever rays will be most useful
in specific cases, just as the medical prac-
titiCner prescribes certain drugs for the
treatment CT particular ailments.
The characteristics of the chemical rays
of light are now known to be their bac-
tericidal power, their power to produce in
tlammation of the skin. and their power to
penetrate the ekin. These rays, by such
penetration of the skin, speedily kill the
bacilli that cause the disease. The opera
ton, in fact, often requires only a few sec
onds, whether the concentration of the rays
is made from ordinary sunlight or from the
electric arc light. The simple, unconcen-
trated sunlight has too slight a bactericidal
property ever to be Of great use for thera-
peutic purposes, otherwise all bacterial skin
diseases would be cured spontaneously in
tho summer. One of the diseases in which
Dr. Finsen's work has given striking prac-
tical results Is lupus. This Is chronic dis
ease CT the skin, most frequent in the female
SEX commonly showing itself in child
hood between the ages Of 3 and TO- What is
Of intense interest in this connection is the
fact that 1t is caused by the tuberc!e
bacillus. Az already stated, the bactericidal
action lies in the most refrangib,e rays, and
in order to prevent burning Of the tissues
calorific rays, up to the yellow, are ex-
cluded. II sunlight be used, this is done by
employing hollow plano convex lens twenty
to forty centimeters in diameter, filled with
ammoniacal solution of sulphate Of copper.
Light from an electric source requires diff
ferent treatment, the rays being divergent,
Tho apparatus then consists of two tele-
ecoping cylinders, each OF which contains
two plano convex lenses. The first pair
make the divergent rays parallel and the
second pair converge the parallel rays. The
two pairs are separated by ten lters CT
distilled water. Beyond the fourth lene at
the end OF the apparatus comes the light
filter, a fattened glass cylinder containing
the copper solution. Rock crystal Lenses are
even better as they obviate lle aborption
of ultra violet rays by the ordinary glass.