SUNLIGHT FOR HEALTH

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 16 June 1928, Page 11

SUNLIGHT FOR HEALTH

Experiments proving the benefits to health and sunlight and artificial sun--1 light, have been carried out by Lieut-

enant-Colonel G. S. Hutchinson, D. 5.0., his subjects being underground workers of the Sherwood colliery, England, and lads of poor physique from industrial centres whom he has taken to Switzerland. The interest that has been aroused in New Zealand in heliotherapy by the controversy over a solarium for Napier, gives particular point to Lieuenant-Colonel Hutchinson’s observations. Writing in the ‘ ‘ Graphic, ’ ’ he says: — A week or two ago I took my little boy, aged five, for his first visit to the zoo. That was for him, and for myself, an event in itself. It was one of those cold, murky, tyically London March days; the moving skies were grey, laden with low clouds, and a myriad domestic chimney pots spouting forth little columns of smoke gave evidence of unseen housewives’ mass efforts to compete, with cold, which even by ten thirty in the morning had so carbonised the mists that the sun could be observed only as a great round orange ball. The sight of real live elephants, roaring lions, camels with humps, vividly coloured birds, and the countless delights of the Zoo made all the impression for which I had hoped; but what struck the boy most was the wondrous brightness of the monkey house. “This,” he said, “is sunlight.” At this point it is fair to explain that since his earliest days the child has received artificial sunlight treatment in my own home. He noted at once the brilliance of the light from quartz lamps, diffused through vitaglass, now installed in the monkey house. It impi’essed me anew. For here, I said to myself, is one boy at. least from London’s tens of thousands who not, only recognises light, but appreciates its value; while, on the other hand, there are tens and tens of thousands of children in our great cities who have scarcely realised or felt sunlight and its life-giving ultra-violet ray. It is now several seasons since I first took a party of working lads from one of our great industrial centres to the High Alps. Each time I have done so I have heard from their parents, employers, and associates of the wonderful benefit in health which these young men have received ; and I have satisfied myself that the Alpine sun and, it should be added, air—for factors other than sunlight have played their part—have been responsible for the almost miraculous changes which have occurred in these lads, even after a period of only two or three weeks. My most recent experiment, when I took lads from the depths of a Nottinghamshire pit, added pounds to their weight and inches to their height, besides altering their appearance so much for the better that even their parents scarcely recognised them.

EXPERIMENTS IN EUROPE

SOME REMARKABLE RESULTS

•These tours have been part of an experiment, the purpose of which has been to ascertain what are the main causes contributing to national ill health, and how, without disturbing the method and organisation of industry, such illhealth can be restored. My experience has satisfied me that there are two main causes, but that chemically they can be largely removed by one specific. These causes are, first, lack of sunlight due to the conditions imposed by our industrial civilisation; and, secondly, low dietary due to profound ignorance upon this question. Alpine sunlight, together with the contributing factor of a wellbalanced diet—in this case, specifically, as I determined, inch in calcium and phosporus—were responsible for the marvellous results. I wish to be emphatic as to the healing, healthgiving, rejuvenating powers of light, for in any case the chemical reaction in the blood, resulting from ultra-violet radiation is a raising of its calcium and phosphorus content'. - The very successful results obtained at the zoo from both quartz lamps and vita-giass, although empirical and therefore perhaps unsatisfying to the scientific investigator, do not stand alone. It stands to the credit of those responsible for this light revolution at the zoo that they have been willing to experiment. I hope* that the results obtained will encourage visitors at least to wonder if the results achieved upon the physical persons, and unquestionably also wrought in the minds, of monkeys, cannot be repeated with equal success upon the bodies and in the minds of the citizens of this great country among whom these little aliens have been brought to dwell. “Go to the ant,” said Solomon. In a new age and civilisation and with all seriousness I would say, “Go to the monkey house, thou ignoramus. ’ ’

As seriously, and in all earnestness, I would urge those responsible for and interested in industry to read the report of the Sherwood Colliery Demonstration just published, which proves beyond all dispute that better health, quicker growth and greater joy of living are the direct result of artificial sunlight treatment. That demonstration was carried out systematically for three months, under strict medical supervision, by a committee of disinterested medical and lay authorities, upon the persons of 50 pit lads between 14 and 17 years of age, of the same physical type, origin and home life; while a further similar group of 50 lads was kept “under control,” but was not given treatment. The report just issued shows that the irradiated group has gained an average of 100 per cent, in weight over the non-irradiated group, and has gained also 50 iter cent, in height, while the committee, the management, and the parents have noted an increase in appetite and marked cheerfulness.