HEALTH FROM THE SUN.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 6 October 1926, Page 8

HEALTH FROM THE SUN.

ENEMY OF INFANT MALADIES

IMPORTANCE OF FRESH AIR

The curative properties of the sun’s rays and the sun as a factor in maintaining health formed the .subject of an address by Sir Truby King, Director of Child Welfare, in the Leys’ Institute at Auckland. Speaking of the relationship oi the sun to the world, Sir Truby said that without the sun human beings would be unable to live and the world would be a dead place. One could not. think of anything in the- world that was not due directly or indirectly to the sun. “There is no more potent action of the sum and ultra-violet rays than in strengthening our cells against poisonous microbes.’’ said Sir Truby. "There is no reason why we should not be healthy in a city. IVe must observe the rules of good living, take plenty of exercise and a. quantity of food. in keeping with the tasks we follow. Sir Truby spoke at length concerning ]iis experiences during visits to England and the Continent in 1913. 1917 and 1918. „ , . . Tm 1913 lie attended*the first lug infant welfare conference in London, and fit that time no great advance' had been made in discovering the cause and cure of rickets. Tt was generally looked upon as due to the imperfections of citv life —malnutrition, had food! and life in dark and secluded places. Some said it- was due to the lack of fat in food) and cod liver oil was said to he beneficial. In 1917-18 he found there had been no great change. A Ped Cross conference took him to the south of Fiance, and there lie visited a- home in St, Raphael, where some 100 children were treated bv exposing their bodies to the sun and air. They were suffering from tuberculosis, hut they ' were actually lienlthier and more, normal than children who had not' received 1 the treatment. After the Armistice he visited Vienna, where the scourge of rickets was very .serious, and after a .series of investigations it was found that exposure of bodies to the sun had an almost miraculous effect. Several .slides were shown depicting the effect of the sun’s rays on. plant and human life. “In this magnificent country of ours it is essential we should have our little gardens,” said t,he doctor. “Tf husbands spent .Saturday afternoons in their gardens instead of going to football matches it would he better for themselves, their wives and their families. Some may sav they have only an eighth of an acre./but much can he done with that. When T came to Wellington I had only an eighth of an acre, hut T did something with it. T felt T wanted exercise.”

Slides of undernourished and prooerly cared foi: children followed. Commenting on them Sir Truby said_: “Why let. vour children spend their Saturday afternoons in a stuffy picture theatre? Send them to the beaches and l the. parks and let them get fresh air and; sunshine. Then t.heve will he no disease and our hospitals will he empty.”

Sneaking of ultra-violet rays. Sir Truby said it was one of the most im-poi-tant scientific discoveries of the age. Tt had 1 the effect of the sun and. although yet in its infancy, had already done much good. There was not sunshine everywhere. The sun did 1 not penetrate the winter mist of London, for instance, and it was- then that the rays were invaluable for treating such afflictions as rickets. ’ Not only did the violet rays act in a healthy way on the hodv, but tliev also- hilled microbes'.