The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-10-15

lowest cylinder into the uppermost Of the con-
Ccntrnting apparatus
| ccntrnting already described the concentration
! and cooling Of the light are thus effected. But
tho light is still TOO warm 10 bc applied To the skin
| without hurting II; the skin must therefore TIC
cooled in order to avoid burning. TINS ~ effected
| and n plain convex lens Of quartz both framed
| In conical brass ring. which carries two small
| tubes and four arms to each arm is fastened an
is pre- pressed against the skin" ''' Wv
by making cold water run into one Of the tubes
and out Of the other one. the skin is cooled to such
degree, Dr. Bic says, that II can stand even the
strongest light by the pressure which tho
Sn n so that the chemical rays penetrate il
the better. as was described in the account OF
DIR Finsen's experiments with the ear and the
Dr. Die says: IN this manner an area Of skin
Of one and half centimeiIes in diameter is treated
and swclls. bulln may appear, but necrosis has
never been observed We have tried to treat dif-
Sb SS ns but is on Of Ss oS .,
upus e,'pthemdtOsus and dtoDeca dredtn thatwe
have treated number OF cases great enough TO
estimate the value of the method.
have been treated. The first patients were treated
entirely by light; the same thing is done with oil
the slighter cases; the other hand, in the more
serious cases the treatment by light is assisted
order " make the skin smooth and as easily pcne
tr9ble by the light as possible While one part
is being treated by light, the pyrogalic acid oint-
ton is healed by zinc ointment this area of skin
In treated by light: this treatment with ointment
is not necessary for obtaining good result but
IL saves much time for the patient All ulccra-
tions are kept free from cr,lsts by cataplasm OF
a borc acid solution. The mucous membranes
are touched with solution Of iodine and potas-
siumiodide d:2;2) or are treated with the galvano-
Cautery
For tho present at least only the skin, the
hard palate, the front part Of the sephIn nosdp.
tongue and the mucous membrane OF the check,
can be healed by this method In mono of the
cases has the treatment been quite without effect,
but in about five cases the improvement was very
slow, either because the disease was progressing
40 rapidly that it was extending in one place while
the treatment went on in another, or because the
lupus was SO deep that the light could only with
difficulty penetrate to it, In all the other cases
OF course il takes some time until all the diseased
tissue is thoroughly treated and the formation Of
scar tissue has begun-Defore any improvement
is visible; but from the moment it begins it is
tinucd without interruption until the last noduc
Of the lupous patch has disappeared. In all these
$50 cases this result has been certain and so
constant that there il even reason b, doubt the
accuracy OF the diagnosis of lupus vugaris when
this method Of treatment appears To be Ineffective
The principal advantages OF the method are.
besides its reliability, its excellent cosmetic re-
suits. the nfrequency Of relapses and their slight
extent and that the treatment is painless The
good cosmetic result is due to the fact that there
1t is for the same reason that the results in respect
10 relapse are SO favorable One may, without
harm, treat both the diseased tissue and the ap.
parently healthy surrounding skin until one Is
fairly sure Of having destroyed all the disease
germs. When the patient has been treated till
there are no distinct nodulcs of lupus to he seen
till the swelling and redness Of the skin have dis
appeared so that II is easier to determine whether
anything is left OF the disease not
II further nodulcs develop they disappear after
short further course Of treatment. DR. Bic saws
The treatment is described as painless, and the
patients 1t is said are quite willing to undergo it,