HEALING BY SUNSHINE

Hawera Star, Volume LII, 30 January 1933, Page 7

HEALING BY SUNSHINE

EXPERJEuNCE IN SWITZERLAND

FORMER HAWERA RESIDENT

Hope for those suffering from tuberculosis is held out m the complete cure of an Auckland solicitor, Mr. Allan L. Spence, at the famous sun 'clinic, conducted by Dr. August Rollier at Leysin, Switzerland. Mr. Spence left Auckland for Switzerland 18 months ago, having "been practically bedridden for three years previously. He was told that the sun clinic provided the only possible means of cure, and he has returned to Auckland fully restored to health (reports the “N.Z. Herald”). Dr. Rollier established his sun clinic at Leysin 25 years ago after successfully treating his own wife, Mr Spence said. It had now grown until there were 88 individual hospitals, capable ot accommodating 1500 patients. Fees ranged from about 7s a day, and sufferers went there from all parts of the world. The treatment consisted simply oi the- exposure of the naked body to the sun for a limited period every day, acordmg to the endurance of the patient. The period of exposure never exceeded three hours, as it was held that longer spells would result in injury. The clinic dealt only with nonpulmonary cases. With diseases of the Jungs, it was definitely injurious to patients to take the sun treatment. The Rollier establishment had hod only the benefit of altitude —it was between 5000 ft. and 6000 ft. above sea level —but it also possessed a contm- ] ontal climate, dry and sunny. During ’ Mr. Spence’s stay there was bright sunshine on an average of 14 days | every month. The longest periods | were, strangely enough, in the win tv. months of January and February, when the cloud level was 500 ft. below the ! site of the clinic. i “Remarkable cures are almost evcv.y day occurrences at Leysin,” Mr. I Spence said. “One case which came 1 prominently before my notice was that of a British soldier who had gone. To | the war as a. schoolboy, and, as a result- of war disabilities, was confined in 'London hospitals for 12 years. Three |of his spinal verebrae were- destroyed and his left hip was badly affectcu. After 11 months’ treatment he was able to walk around the mountain paths on crutches anil was well on the road to recovery. “Dr. Rollier’-s work among children Ts marvellous. One child arrived at the clinic with an elbow and both hips badly diseased. After 18 months of treatment the child was perfectly healthy. “In my own ease, the cure was completed in six months. It has been confirmed by other specialists, and. coming j as it does after five years of illness, it is more than welcome.” j Mr. Spence was formerly a resident of Hawera.