The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1907-01-25
THE HEALING LIGHT.
WORKINGS OF THE VIOLET RAYS
IN THERAPY.

Are controlIed-Greater Scientific
Accuracy in Its Use Reached Every
Year-careful Practitioners Only
May Use 1t Without Danger.
Sister was good enough to replace
the bandage quickly. Possibly she saw
that the work Of the Light depart
ment of the great London Hospital
was a severe test for laymans
nerves says the London Mail.
you see," said my guide, that is the
class Of case we have to deal with. It
looks pretty hopeless, doesn't it? But
our friend here was in a worse case
than that poor fellow when he first
came here. Same thing. Another ro-
dent ulcer. Look at him now.
The skin on one side of the face was
a little puckered, as if it were stretch
ed thought too tightly The whole
cheek was, in fact, a healthy scar,
hardly even a Disagreement. The 9TH
er's face. The sore that gnaws does
CHASTITY work indeed.
The darkened room adjoining was
to the layman's eye a strange scene,
alive with silent energy and instinct
with mystery. Against the wall was
large board, with three or four little
dials. The network Of wires connecting
them crossed and recrossed. In one
corner tiny piston, like that of toy
model, was working easily.
"a copper rod dipping in bath OF
mercury" explained the electrician,
ito break the primary current. The
secondary or induced current, is Of
higher intensity"
In the middle of the room rose a
gaunt wooden frame In one of its
upper angles, from delicate crystal
vase, a wonderful violet light was
flowing and throbbing like fairy
fountain.
Below, just above the couch on
which the patient was lying, shone, as
if suspended in mid-air, luminous
globe of gold-green light. 1t looked
as unsubstantial as soapbubble.
That's the tube, you see, and the
seat of the mischief.
For few minutes the smooth ma
chinery continued to purr the violet
fountain to dance in it's crystal vase,
and the great green gold globe to glow
Suddenly from the board came click
as of spring released. Instantly the
sound ceased and the light died out.
The patient on the couch rose, almost
like an automaton in some way con-
nected with the mechanism, and left
the room.
This installation embodies eight
years of progress There is only one
other like it in this country, believe.
When first the X-rays were installed
at the London for therapeutic purpose,
apart from photography, l mean, the
treatment was, of course, largely en-
pircial We had to feel our way. Now
the X-ray treatment is becoming more
akin to an exact science. We can
measure the dosage; we can focus the
rays almost to a pins point we can
even regulate their penetrability"
He pressed back tiny lever; at his
touch the light leaped into being.
you see this dial. It records the ex-
act amount of electric current pas
sing into the installation from the
main. Say that patient twice a week
requires given application of the
light. | turn this pointer to the cor
responding numeral, as you would set
an alarm clock. When this volume has
been given out in X-rays this lever is
released and the current is cut off
automatically We are thus able to pre-
scribe graduated or uniform doses of
the rays at each application. 1t means.
of course, that the dosage is no longer
guesswork.
Round the Crookes tube itself you
see there is transparent disc a lead
shield, the invention of one of our
assistants here, which is impervious
to the rays. They pass out only
through the glass funnel. By regulat-
ing their size we are able to focus the
rays either to cover fairly wide sur
face or to concentrate them on the
smallest spot Before the invention of
this shield the rays were, of course,
diffused all round the tube, and this
involved the operator in grave risks.
for the rays produce certain changes
IN the healthy tissues. Look at nv
hand"
The hands look twisted and swollen
like the hands of an old man, gnarled
by rheumatism or govt.
1T was a very real danger, because
the continuous exposure of the
healthy tissues to the rays may final
Iy induce epihthelioma, a cancer of the
skin. Another of our staff had, in fact
to lnsa q finger Now Of nnnrsn VIC nnn