Evening star., 1928-04-12

| Those who wish TO obtain general
survey of the effect OF sunshine on hu-
| man beings may do so from DIR. G. w
Saleeby's Sunlight and HEALTH" pub
lished in 1924 by @. p. Putnam's Sons.
| The author states that this volume,
of some 200 pages. Is designed for the
medical profession and the public, to
commend the sunlight as the primary
and hitherto most neglected means OF
health and medicine against disease"
Sir william Bayliss, chairman of the
committee on light of the Medical Re-
search Council of Great Britain, In his
introduction to the London physicians
book, declares:
1T will be seen that while the most
striking effects of light have shown
| themselves in the actual cure OF dis
eased conditions, such as ricketts, and
tuberculosis. 1t is known that light pre-
vents the development of these In cir
cumstances In which they would other
wise assuredly show themselves. 1t
| seems clear. therefore, that we must
ascribe to sunlight very important func-
tions in the preservation OF normal
health"
DR.. Saleeby, out of honest admiration
for America and Americans, implies
that this country could do more with
the sun cure" as 1t is called, than has
been done In all the other lands to-
gether. even Switzerland. where the
technique of the outdoor sun bath has
been developed to its highest perfection,
II the medical profession and laymen
of the United States would combine
with characteristic energy
or England and its general attitude
toward this primary means OF health"
Or. Saleeby says in his characteristic
fashion: The truth is. we are Naa-
NANTES. one and all. Perhaps We ad-
mire Pasteur, who said that tout est
miracle tall is miraclel, and Walt
Whitman, who wrote superbly about
natural miracles in more poems than
one. And We proclaim the value of
simple daily things. but the moment
that some surprising novelty is an
nounced we forget ourselves and our
philosophy. like the great crowd of
doctors who had listened to lecture on
X-ray therapeutics at O medical con-
gress few years ago. and who prompt
ly walked out of the lecture theater
when DR.. Roller followed with paper
on mere heliotherapy Naaman, the
leper. wanted thaumaturgy, some mar
velous recitation, or passes OF the hands,
or invocations Of Heaven. and he was
told to wash and be clean What an
insult! What banalityl We want a
huzZing X-ray tube. good bedside
manner. superb operating theater, a
perfectly modelled plaster Of paris
Jacket. a drug with high number, a
long name. and a remarkable history.
or anti-tuberculosis serum made at vast
expense by the incubation of animals;
and when. as Elisha long ago told the
.leprous to strip and bathe In the water
of common Jordan and be clean, Roller
now tells the tuberculous TO strip and
bathe in the light of common day and
be we'll. We think his formula too SIM
ple-simpletons that We are"
Artificial sun rays. as applied so sue
cessfully now in the treatment of GER
tain diseases OF patients in the larger
cities of America, may or may not fall
within DR.. Saleeby's designation of
some surprising novelty" 1t is sure.
however, that he pays little attention
to them in his book. which was written,
of course. four years ago-and a great
deal may happen in four years in this
century.
DR.. Saleeby Is more the champion of
free. everyday sunshine. He is enain-
ored of the great popularity OF golf and
other outdoor sports in this country
and of the light clothing universally
worn in the United States during Spring
and Summer. which admits some, at
least. of the beneficent rays Of sunlight
through to the epidermfs of the wearers.
He says: The light Is the source of
all life. It Is conceivable that at some
remote age before the solar radiationS
could penetrate through the earth's
then dense atmosphere terrestrial radi-
ant energy may have served the needs
of living things. but in our own time
all the energy that flows through all
living bodies, vegetable and animal, in
cluding even those of the ocean depths,