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great benefit to the patient. From this it was thought that possibly
the benefit of sunlight could be explained by the penetration of certain
invisible rays, and the exposures to the ultra-violet rays of the sunlight
by Finsen in the first instance were confined to that part of the
body which was affected by the disease. Later on, however, Drs.
O. Bernhard and Rollier found that the benefit from local application
was not equal to the application of the sun's rays to the whole
body, and it is from the practical application of this discovery that
both of them deserve full credit.
On Thursday, May 22nd, some of us had the privilege of hearing
Dr. Rollier give a lecture on this subject to a medical audience
in Guy's Hospital. It was accompanied by a large selection of
lantern slides, and while most of us were prepared to believe in the
benefits conferred by Heliotherapy, I must confess that we were all
astounded at the remarkable results which he was able to show us
graphically, and also by the quotation of the number of cures. Cases
of tubercular disease of the spine, which causes the condition
ordinarily known as " humpback," practically hopeless cases of hip
disease, diseases of the knee and ankle, elbow, shoulders, &c., were
completely healed up and cured in periods varying from six months
to a year and sometimes longer. The most remarkable fact which was
brought out was that these cures were accompanied by a re-establishment
of the movements of the joints or the spine and other
movable parts. Hitherto the only treatment for these conditions
was either complete rest or excision of the joint by surgical methods,
in most cases resulting in the complete immobility of the joint, and
up to quite recently it was never thought that these cases could be
cured and the joints be used afterwards in the ordinary way.
The subject is so important that it was felt by Dr. Salter, Dr.
Connan and myself, who all attended the lecture, that a preliminary
report should be made to this Committee.
As it does not do to take all these results for granted, we propose,
with the sanction of the Committee, to run over to Leysin, Switzerland,
for two or three days from the 11th inst.