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194
per cent. or over and 21 were either absent on the days of reexamination
or had attended irregularly. Of the 71 children
re-tested, 10 had an initial haemoglobin level of between 95 per
cent. and 99 per cent.; and it was found that artificial sunlight
treatment had no appreciable effect on the haemoglobin level of
these children. As these 10 children cannot be regarded as being
anaemic, they must be excluded from the total of 71. Of the
remaining 61 children re-tested, the percentage of haemoglobin
was less in 3 (5 per cent.), stationary in 15 (25 per cent.) and
increased in 43 (70 per cent.). As there may be a normal daily
variation of as much as 8 per cent. in the amount of haemoglobin
only those children whose haemoglobin increased more than 8 per
cent. may be considered to have benefited from artificial sunlight
treatment. It was found that, of the 61 anaemic children re-tested,
31 (51 per cent.) had a haemoglobin increase of more than 8 per
cent., and 28 (46 per cent.) of these 61 children had reached a
haemoglobin level of 95 per cent. or more and could be considered cured.

When considering the therapeutic effect of artificial sunlight
on anaemic children it is important to know the duration of treatment
and the length of period over which treatment was given. A
quartz mercury vapour arc lamp was used and treatment was
given twice weekly; the initial dose was two minutes back and
front increasing to a maximum of ten minutes back and front.
The course of treatment extended over several months. The
following table shows the percentage of haemoglobin before treatment,
the number of children, the duration of treatment, and the
percentage of haemoglobin after treatment:—