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13 1924
REPORT OF WORK OF VOLUNTARY CENTRES.
Sunlight as a Preventive Agency.—The North Islington Welfare Centre
had gifted to them an Artificial Sunlight Lamp, and at the time it is believed to
be the only establishment of the kind in London which had had such an installation
introduced. In establishing this sunlight clinic the management were guided
by the advice of Professor Leonard Hill, F.R.S., of the Medical Research Institute.
On his advice the Eidinow Carbon Arc Lamp was installed, and as a preliminary
Professor Hill very kindly had some of the mothers and children treated
at the Medical Research Institute, and a nurse accompanied them to have the
opportunity of being trained in the use of the lamp under medical supervision.
Medical supervision has at the Centre been always consistently carried out, as is
mentioned in the summary which follows. Unlike the use to which these lamps
are put to in hospitals, the lamp at this Centre is not, strictly speaking, for the
treatment of disease, but is being used at present with a view to ascertaining its
value as a preventive agency. The cases which are being dealt with at present
by means of the light are as follows :
1. Infants—non-thrivers—that is, pre-malnutrition cases.
2. Cases of infants in which it is considered that a course of exposure to the
light might act as a preventive of latent rickets.
3. (a) Cases in which the muscular tone is poor—for example, an infant with
weak back muscles, where one anticipates the child will not be able to
sit up at the time one expects an infant to be able to do so.
(b) Infants in whom trouble is experienced as regards regularity of the
bowels—that is to say, constipation, which might be considered also
a lack of muscular tone in the abdominal muscles, or of peristalsis.
4. Experimental work is also being carried out with regard to faulty lactation
in mothers, and there appears to be some indication that "artificial
sunlight" in the case of the mother has a "tonic" effect, and lactation
can be carried on when otherwise it shows signs of failing. The
experience of the mother following a course of exposure is similar to
the stimulating feeling felt after a summer holiday. There is, however,
sometimes no such experience felt during the period of exposure,
but, say, after a fortnight's exposure and then cessation, the feeling
referred to makes itself apparent and has its influence on the general
health, and resistance to minor ailments, colds, etc.
All cases are medically supervised by a qualified practitioner, and
the exposure to the lamp is very carefully graduated and careful records
of weights, etc., are kept.
It is hoped, when the lamp has been longer in use, that its preventive
influence may be further confirmed and some inferences will be
able to be drawn from those receiving the light, and by comparison
with others as to whether they are less liable to infection, colds, etc. It
is for these reasons that uniform and careful records are necessary.