The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1902-06-14
VIOLET RAY AS
A LEPROSY CURE
INTERESTING EXPERIMENTS
THAT MAY LEAD TO I'M
PoRTANT RESULTS.
THE PROPOSED TREATMENT AN
ENTIRELY NEW ONE.
Efforts to Secure a Specialist to Study
The Disease at Molokai-X-ray and
Tua-tua.

The Board of Health committee on
the Copenhagen cure for leprOsy is
working to secure apparatus with
which to apply the treatment as pro-
posed by DR.. W. l.. Moore, at recent
meeting. The cure in question has
never been applied to leprosy as far as
is known, and if beneficial results are
brought about. DR.. Moore and the Ha-
waiian Board of Health will have made
a discovery of vast Importance. The
Copenhagen cure is the application of
violet rays, of intense power, just as it
is proposed to apply the X-ray.
1T is known that the violet ray of
the spectrum has a considerable ger
micidal power" said DR.. Moore. 1T
has never been used in cases of leprOsy,
but it's use in cases of some kinds of
alterations of the skin has been very
successful, and possibly some leprosy
cases may be benefited by it, The
treatment Is simply the concentration
of a powerful violet ray on the affected
spots.
Some months ago 1 thought of Sc
curing an apparatus for use of the vlo-
let ray in my own office, but it would
involve an expense of about $500 and
there is not enough use for it to war
rant such an outlay. The Board of
Health will endeaVOr to get the money
and make some experiments.
THE violet ray treatment differs
from the X-ray treatment in that it
does not couse any injury. The X-ray
produces burns sometimes, and it might
be difficult to get patients to submit to
it. There is no such objection to the
violet ray. We hope to be able to make
a thorough test of it and there may be
some valuable results
The Copenhagen cure got it's name
from having been first used by physi-
clan in Copenhagen. Though its appli-
cation so far has been to cases of skin
troubles different from lepTOsy, it is
thought that the germ-destroying pow
er of the ray may be such as to benefit
sufferers from that disease, and the
tests will be watched with the greatest
interest.
In addition to the violet ray treat
ment, the Board will Investigate the x
ray treatment md the TUa-tua remedy.
DR.. Shorey food commissioner, has
completed an analysis of the Tua-tua
extract, and will soon make a written
report on it. Tests so far show an alb
sence of results, and there is little con-
fidence here in this alleged "cure." The
X-ray requires quite expensive appa-
ratus, more so than the violet ray, and
the latter will probably be tried first.
The Board of Health is in correspond
ence with some Mainland institutions
and with the Marine Hospital depart
ment at Washington, with a view to
employing a specialist as physician in
charge at the Leper Settlement. When
DR.. oliver left it was decided to try and
find a successor who would take the po-
sition for the sake of the scientific
opportunities afforded, and some doc
tor will probably be eventually found
who is willing to take up his home al
Kalaupapa and devote himself to the
old problem of treatment of the disease
1t will be his duty to test the various
possible cures in cooperation with the
Board of Health,