New-York tribune., 1900-09-02

attention, his contention being that sunlight al
ways powerful as a bactericide, can be used with
salutary results in annihilating the tubercle ba-
cius in the human body. His records of test
include many hundreds of cases and the results
thus far have been surprisingly gratifying.
Sun baths in concentrated sunshine, abun-
dance of fresh air and moderate exercise-that
Is his system of treatment for consumption.
Being desirous of knowing the extent of the
penetration of light into the human tissues, Dr.
Kline undertook some interesting experiments
that have ended in demonstrating that sunlight,
like the ray, is capable of passing completely
through the human body.
The illustration shows the method of photo
graphing through the body. The direct rays
of sunlight falling on the reflector, which
is huge cOncave mirror covered with blue glass,
were separated, the chemical rays being focused
the chest of the subject on whose back had
been fastened the Photographic plate on which
picture was to be taken. The plate was ap-
piled with the greatest care that all the light
the rays that penetrated the body should
be excluded. A transparency on glass of a
valley in the Klondike was used as the original
from which the picture was to be taken. This
was fastened to Photographic dry plate, that
had never been exposed to light and the two
were placed the back between the shoulder
blades of a well developed man, weighing $50
pounds, the transparency being placed next the
Bkin with the sensitive plate Immediately be-
hind it. Over this were placed black paper
cotton wadding surgeons plaster and black
cloth in alternate layers The focused light was
then thrown on the chest for fifteen minutes,
when the subject removed to a dark room,
the plate removed and developed.
All possible sources of error were studiously
eliminated, and the operation performed re-
peatedIy under varying conditions always with
the same result; the concentrated sunlight pene-
trated the mans body. To determine whether
contact with the developed plate the heat
from the body had any influence on the new
plate several plates were exposed as before,
but without the sunlight the chest. The
plates thus treated showed absolutely
change
All OF these photographs were taken with such
scientific eXactness that they establish the fact
that the actinic or chemical rays of the sun,
when sufficiently concentrated, may be made
to pass entirely through the body of a fully de-
veloped man.
The rays of light pass through the skin with
considerable difficulty, readily through the
Euscular tissues and most readily through bone
in producing picture through the cheek the
Night passes through single thickness of skin,
and the picture is reproduced almost instantly.
AS these studies were all conducted with
S2ew to their establishing the therapeutic value
of sunlight, it is a matter of Importance to note
the structures through which light must pass
IN reaching the deepest parts of the lungs. There
is the single thickness of skin the semi trans
parent sternum and ribs. few thin muscles,
and the light has reached the lungs, themselves
almost wholly composed of thin walled air cells
Light then, must reach even to the posterior
thoracic walls. AS light is the best bactericide
known. and the rays of the contain prin-
siples that are essential to plant and animal
sfe, this fact is regarded as cne of vital i'm