Omaha daily bee., 1903-02-14
TO ADOPT FINSEN METHOD
Health Commissioner to Equip Emergency
Hospital with Red Shades,
THIS TO PREVENT FITTING IN SMALLPOX
DR.. Ralph Thinks Omaha IL First city
I'm the United states 90 Take
Advantage of Finsen
Discovery.

Patients in the Omaha emergency hospi-
tai soon are to be protected absolutely
from pitting or soaring by smallpox by the
use Of one OF the recent discoveries in
photoEraphy-the use OF light in medical
practice. Health Commissioner Ralph has
decided to adopt the simple method made
known to the world in 1898 by DR.. Nlels
Finsen Of Copenhagen, wNich consists sim
ply Of barring from the sick room any
light but red light, the shade to be regu-
lated according to the virulence OF the as
ease.
So far as the health commissions knows,
Omaha will be the FIRST city in the Uaited
States to equip its pesthouse in this man
ner. Aside from preventing Disagreement
the Finsen method is said TO have a po over
full remedial effect upon the disease, pre-
venting suppuration. checking the course
Of the ailment and lessening the duration
Of sickness II the pustules are already
we'll defined and d%ischarging pus, the dark
red light soon heals them with the traces
on the face and hands which now constl-
tute the chief reason to dread smallpox,
since under modern conditions 1t seldom
causes death.
Expense VIII BE small.
The expense will be light, all that is
ueCtS6dTg DeluB u QuduAllg VI Itu ClOAu u
be hung over the doors and windows and
over the lamps. Twenty-Five dollars will
be more than enough to equip the hospital
for all the patients It now contains-six or
seven. DIR. Ralph plans to have the ar
rangements completed next week.
All article in the current number Of Nc
Clure's Magazine, called The Surgery Of
Light and written by Cleveland Moffett,
set DR.. Ralph TO wondering why the Fin
sen method could not be introduced into
the local emergency hospital. 1t dill not
take him very long to conclude that the
treatment could be Installed at very slight
cost, at least in a crude but generally sum
cient way.
DR.. Neils Finson is the individual who has
become famous through his discovery Of
the wonderful curative effect Of blue or
ultra violet rays when applied to such dis
eases as lupus, cancer, etc. The discovery
Of the value of arkness and red rays in
smallpox cases was made in the early
stages Of his Investigations.
DR.. PIctOu's Experience.
He stumbled across the truth one day
while reading a pamphlet published in 1882
by DIR. Pictou in New Orleans. Incidentally
1t was mentioned that a number of soldiers
imprisoned in a dungeon had taken email
pox and had recovered quickly without
soaring or suppuration Of the pustules.
Cleveland Moffett describes the progress
of the experiments:
mo attempt was made at explanation,
but the mere fact was sufficient for Fin
sen. who in a flash of insight seized upon
a truth that had lain here for years, under
stood by no one. The soldiers had recov-
cred without soaring simply because, be-
- i - 80 - 49,. go @..NaANAA
against the irritating actinic rays, the same
blue rays that disturbed the earthworms so.
No one knew better than Finsen how much
harm these rays can do. even to a normal
and healthy skin by sun burning. How
much greater harm, he reasoned, must
these rays work II allowed to fall on an In
famed sensitive cuticle like that Of a small
pox patient. 1t was, therefore, clear to him
that such patients should be kept either
In darkness, like DR.. Pictou's prisoners,
or, better still. for purposes OF convenience
and comfort, in red light, which is physio-
logically the SAM as darkness. Would
not patients thus protected from the chem
ical rays enjoy immunity from pockmark-
ing? he asked himself"
Result of an Experiment.
The result Of an experiment was a tri-
umph for Ffnsen and was summed up like
this by Dr.. Syendsen: THE period Of sup
puration, the most dangerous and most
painful stage Of smallpox. did not appear;
there was no elevation Of temperature and
no edema. The patients entered the stage
of convalescence Immediately after the
period Of vaccination. which seemed a lit
tie prolonged. The hideous scars were
avoided" A very little daylight was found
to work harm. In ordinary cases a clear.
red light, strong enough for the patient to
read, is all that is necessary. In bad cases
the light must be dark red.
All this is what 1t is proposed to do for
persons unfortunate enough to be taken
sick with smallpox and confined In the
emergency hospital at Omaha.
odd Fellows Temple Company Fails.
CINCINNATI. Feb; 1s.IThe Odd Fellows