Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-14
BACKGROUND OF EVENTS
BY PAUL y. COLLINS.

who by taking thought can add one
cubit unto his stature?" The question
propounded 1000 years ago. Is but
partly answered by modern science, for
today. by the thoughts Of great re-
search, science does add to the stature
Of the growing boy or girl-not whole
cubit 1t is sure, but about three-quarters
Of an inch in three months, which il
equivalent to 3 inches in a year. So
why not assume that cubit-nearly
2 feet-by thoughtful care, might
grow in eight years-a cubit more than
normal growth?
1t does not follow that what results
from limited experimental treatment
would continue indefinitely, but miracles
do occur in this progressive age of
science. We have long known the eff
f1cacy Of green vegetables in overcom-
ing physical defects and curing diseases
due to dietary faults. We have grown
accustomed to hearing the doctors pre-
scribe leafy vegetables for ricketts, and
many other ailments that poorly fed
flesh is heir to. We swallow spinach
with a wry face, just as we might take
Quinine or ipecac, but what it is in the
spinach that is 80 highly esteemed re-
mains for the scientific researcher to
demonstrate. We eat on faith. We
swallow what we are told with grain
of salt"-plus pepper and vinegar.
X X X X
Now comes a new demonstration in
England, that what Is good in spinach
and other leafy vegetables Is bottled
sunshine, and If we can eat the SUM-
shine without the "ipecac" or whatever
Is mixed in the bitterS, so much the
better. Furthermore, science is dis
covering how to make synthetic SUM-
shine on cloudy day, or in dark places,
and it is proving that this artificial SUM-
light is quite as curative as the real
stuff In its effect upon tuberculosis,
rheumatism, skin and nervous diseases.
In the advanced hospitals. in recent
years, many cases of tuberculosis have
been treated by surgical operations,
actually cutting through the backs of
patients and carving out diseased parts
Of the lungs-taking out great gashes
Of flesh S or 6 inches long and an
inch or more in width and perhaps 2
or inches deep. penetrating into
the lung cavity. Then, after the oper-
alton, the patient has been put outdoors
in direct sunlight, which seemed to per-
form miracles in healing the CHASTITY
wounds. But there was necessarily more
or less danger of infection from floating
germs In the air, for the wounds could
not be covered; they must receive the
direct sunlight. This treatment has
been used in Walter Reed Hospital, with
amazing success, in arresting tubercu-
louS conditions, well advanced.
X \ 4
A recent report from the New Health
and Sunlight League Of Great Britain,
concerning its experiments with artifi-
cial sunlight, gives great encouragement
as to the possibilities of broadening the
use OF sunlight therapeutics without the
sun.
The society has been testing the use
of artificial sunlight on ricketts,, rheuma.
tism, skin and nervous diseases and
The tests have been made at a coal
mine, where the miners were suffering
from occupational conditions which de-
prived them of sunlight.
ARRANGEMENTS were made with OFF,
Gals of the Sherwood Colliery and q
clinic established at the pithead. 1t
was equipped with six large quartz mer-
curry sun lamps. These lamps were aug
mented with four heat-producing lamps.
The walls were painted white so that
the largest proportion Of the ultra
The mercury lamp was chosen, rather
than the arc lamp, because OF the time
factor and economy In consumption Of
electricity. The miners, IL was found,
desired to get home as soon as possible
after emerging from the warm pits, and
no other type Of lamp enabled treat
rnent In from three to five minutes, the
report said.
r X \ r
Three classes of persons were Sc
lected for treatment In the clinic. One
hundred boys Of similar type and age
were assembled and complete health
data were compiled The boys were die
vided into two groups, so being placed
under treatment by the mercury lamps
and so deGignated as an observation
- sscand slaa somprissd adult