The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-04-26
SUCCESS CROWNS USE
OF FINSEh LIGHT.
Philadelphia Hospital Reports
Many Cures Made by
Violet Rays.
CASES OF LUPUS TREATED.
Skin Diseases That Had Long
Baffed Physicians Yield TO the
New Treatment-Details
of Experiments.

REPUBLIC SPECIAL
PHILADELPHIA, April l-When NeilS Fin
sen. then = young instructor In anatomy OF
Copenhagen University, and broken in
health. gave 20 The world his discovery OF
she surgery CT Ugh ten years ago. he probI
ably did not realize what marvellous rapid
strides 1t would make In the next decade.
1t Is now applied IN checking the raw
ages Of certain skin diseases that long baf-
ned the skin OF abe practitioners
the Polytechnic Hospital in this city for
near.y two months with the Finssn light
cure have developed such substantial re-
suits. according TO those in charge, as to
prove beyond question that IL ranks close
ly to that other wonderful discovery, the
Roentgen or 4-ray.
So far the cases treated IN the Polytechnic
have been what are known as the lupus
patients. Lupus is in reality nothing more
than tuberculosis Of the skin.
It is an uncommon disease IN this coun-
try, but In Europe II IS present in great
force. 1t may be inherited, but II is usu-
ally due 10 the Judgment OF the tuoercular
FORMER TREATMENT OF DISEASE.
Until the discovery OF the Ffnsen light
cure the usual meathod OF treating the dis
ease was by the application Of caustO
pastes, scTaping away or cutting out the
more or less painful. In this country. even
at present the same methods are followed,
as the more modern cure has only been
NINhLAF lllEBuuCGu mere
The only place in this city where IL is in
pitaI
There are many who remember the Ieers
and SCOTS that were hurled at the blue
Glass theory" that was advanced in the
early seventies, and the credit for which
was largely given to General A. J. Pleas
anton Of Philadelphia.
No less a person than Doctor F1nsen HIM
sell says that the General was right in
principle.
It is the chemical OF violet rays OF the
sunlight That accomplish the cure, accord
separated from the red. or heat. rays. that
would burn and blister. Here is the vindi-
eaton OF the Blue Glass Theory Of Cen
HOW CURE Is APPLIED.
F1nsen's conclusions were that In the blue.
violet or ultra violet, lies the real benefit to
man
b Fnsen light at the Polyclinic Hos
stead Of the blue glass. cold water. it
has been found. carries OF the red. or heat.
hollow metal shield into which are fitted
two lenses. for concentrating the rays, the
water flowing between the lenses.
thar twenty cases Of lupus have been
treated. as well as allied conditions OF the
There are two unusual cases that have
been treated. Ont was the case OF a wom-
an. 20 years old. who had the disease for
n1ty years She Is beginning TO respond to
the treatment and the physician In charge
has reason to believe that the disease has
been checked.
Another case was that OF a woman 30
years old The disease had spread rapidly
with her. She had gone TO various physi-
clans without any successful results. She
first heard OF the new method In the news
papers She went to the Polytechnic and she
has advanced so far that 1t Is certain she
will be cured.
stnl another case Is that of a woman 30
years old, who had the red lupus for one
lear. One weeks treatment has resulted
IN q decided Improvement