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36
It is now fairly generally recognised that in the majority of
persons the exposure of the skin to natural sunlight in properly
graduated doses has a tonic and stimulating effect, increasing
the sense of well-being and the feeling of vigour. It has been
shown, however, that this tonic effect is due not so much to
the sunlight as to the stimulating and bracing effect of cold
air on the skin. That being so, it will be appreciated that
artificial sunlight baths at their best can only be expected to
prove a poor substitute for exposure of the body in the open
to sunlight, skyshine and fresh air.
Although heliotherapy(sun-bathing out of doors)can be
practised all the year round in certain places, e.g., South of
England, Switzerland, etc., there are relatively few months
when the urban dweller in this country can derive much
benefit from sun-bathing, due in great part to the smoke pall
hanging over our cities and cutting off the sun's rays. It has
been shown that much of the weakened resistance to fatigue,
general and nervous debility so common in our large cities
towards the end of long, dull winters can be prevented by
suitably graduated courses of exposure to ultra-violet rays;
that young athletes reach a higher level of physical fitness
after courses of artificial sunlight; and that the action of
ultra-violet rays increases the available supply of vitamin D
in the blood-stream.
In the year 1928 a small room at Knotts Green Special
School was equipped with a single quartz mercury-vapour
lamp (Cost—£46); and since that time the Council's Masseuse
(Miss Findlay), who possesses the necessary qualification in
actinotherapy, has been administering artificial sunlight as an
ancillary form of medical treatment in connection with the
Council's clinic services. The following figures show the
number of women and children who have completed the
full course of artificial sunlight treatment at Knotts Green
during the last five years:—
1932 122 1934 124
1933 112 1935 157
1936 287