River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1904-08-25
THE SUMS HEALING POWER
Marvellous Energy Impaired to Plant
Life May Be Acquired by
Mankind.

Man is naturally an outdoor animal.
The tropics being his natural home, he
lives in cold countries only at the eX-
pense of an enormous outlay of labor,
and probably also with very consid-
cradle shortening of his life.
The value of outdoor life is best ap-
preciated by those accustomed to
sedentary life when opportunity is af-
forded them to spend few days in the
open air. 1t needs no lengthy argu-
ment to demonstrate to such a person
the value of continuous outdoor life
as a health promoter. The value of
such a life does not consist wholly in
the purity of the air and the exercise,
matters of great Importance, but also
In the cooling effect of the air in
motion, and especially in the vitalizing
influence of the sunshine.
The rays Of the sun, says DR.. J. Fl.
Kellogg, the sanitariaa, contain heat
and chemical rays as we'll as light rays.
The heat acts powerfully upon t%a
glands and vessels of the skin, while the
chemical rays influence the nervous
system in a remarkable way. 1t is the
chemical rays which cause so-called
sunburn
The marvellous energy manifested in
plant life is derived from the sun act
ing upon the green parts to organize
and vitalize the elements of the earth
and air into living substances. The
same energy of the sunlight is essen
tial to animal life. The sun bath is
now we'll recognized and much val
ued therapeutic agent.
In this form of treatment the whole
body is exposed to the direct action of
the SUMS rays Persons who are not
accustomed to exposure to the sun, and
individuals who have light hair and
light skins, should make the first ex-
posture to the sun of short duration;
10 or Is minutes. Longer exposures
are likely to produce sunburn No
particular harm is done by sunburn,
excepting the inconvenience occa-
stoned by it. The fermentation Of
the skin induced by sunburn protects
the skin from further injury.
The body may be exposed either in
the open air or before window.
When the suns rays are so intense
that the heat IS depressing, the heat
rays may be filtered out by means of
blue screen placed between the pa
tient and the sun.
After the sun bath cold plunge, a
cold shower, a cold towel rub, or a
wet-sheet rub should be administered
to tone the skin and the nerves.
In the summer time in hot climate
the sun bath may be very convenient
ly taken in an outdoor gymnasium. A
sand pile furnishes most appropriate
couch, as the heat which it accumu-
lates may be utilized as an aid to in
duce perspiration when this is desired
Every home should be provided with
a convenient place for taking the out
door sun bath in the summer time, and
sun bath indoors during the cold sea-
son. Civilized human beings suffer
greatly because of the seclusion from
the sun occasioned by modern modes of
life. Those who reside in cities,
like the cave-dwellers of the olden
time, are by their opaque walls and
shaded windows almost excluded from
the sun. The results are shown in the
pale faces of old and young, the
rickety children, the growing preva-
lence of consumption and other con-
stitutional maladies, the increase in
deformities and degenerations, and
other evidences of race deterioration
Out-of-door life and return of the
simple habits of our ancestors is the
only way in which the race extinction
to which we are at present rapidly
fastening can possibly be averted
The sun bath is useful in almost
every form of disease in which an
acute febrile process is not present. It
is especially valuable in neurasthenia,
all forms of dyspepsia, rheumatism,
diabetes, govt, skin disease and chron~
ic maladies of every sort.
N..n A -.,.;