SUN AND SEA

Manawatu Standard, Volume LV, Issue 255, 25 September 1935, Page 8

SUN AND SEA

TREATMENT OF SURGICAL TUBERCULOSIS.

One of the most interesting papers given at the 13. ALA. Conference, in Melbourne, was that read by Sir Henry Gauvaiu, president of the section of public medicine, who is medical superintendent of the Morland Clinico, Alton, and of the Lord Mayor Treloar Cripples’ Hospitals, and is one of the leading figures in the pro r fessiou in Great Britain.

Sir Henry Gauvaiu, speaking on seabathing in the treatment ot surgical tuberculosis, said it was unnecessary to go at length into the history of sea-bathing from its therapeutic aspect, hut mention must be made of two of the pioneers in its use —one Lettsom, a physician of great distinction and one of the founders of the Medical Society of London, and the other, Dr. Richard Russel, generally called “Seawater Russel.” Russel wrote two books on the efficacy of sea-bath-ing and sea water drinking in the cure of various diseases, and supported his claims with details of many cases successfully treated. Doubtless, a measure of his success was due, necessarily to synchronous sunbathing, hut the value of sunlight appeared to have escaped him. Lettsom, much impressed by Russel’s work, founded the sea-bathing infirmary, which was now the Royal Sea-bathing Hospital at Alaragte. Sir Henry Gauvaiu said that his own interest in and love of sun and seabathing dated from his childhood, and that he attributed much of the good health which he enjoyed to long summer holidays, both as a schoolboy and a student, spent on or in the sea. Sir Henry Gauvaiu proceeded to refer to the treatment of tuberculous cripples at the Alarine Hospital at Hayling Island, which, lie said, was the sunniest district on the sunny south coast of England. TYPES OF CASES. Sir Henry Gauvain added that, by the establishment of two hospitals, one inland and the other marine under one management, much information of considerable value had been acquired on what type of case was likely to obtain the greatest benefit from marine treatment. He had hoped that the more weakly patients, who were responding only very slowly to treatment, would improve rapidly; but that was rarely the case. The weakly child, the child with a muddy complexion and who was lethargic in habit, and who did not bronze readily on exposure to sunlight, with Tittle power of response'to natural stimuli, rarely did well. Very, few sick children under the age of five derived real benefit. For those the, less rigorous conditions prevailing inland were to be preferred. The stimulus of sun ; open air, tonic sea breezes, and still more stimulating sunbathing, made too heavy a call on their vitality. The whole success of marine treatment of those cases depended entirely on the ability of the patient to respond to the strong stimuli supplied. Those who could not respond satisfactorily became exhausted in the effort.

Suitable cases and cases likelv_ to respond very satisfactorily, were children of good constitution, who, even if their local lesions were causing anxiety, could react satisfactorily. Children doing well over the. age of five years, with good digestion, and who sunburned readily and were braced by exposure to cold air, and who also reacted well to natural stimuli inland, would, in almost all cases, do better still at the seaside. Especially interesting was the improvement observed in children responding well to sun treatment inland, hut who readied a point where further progress was arrested. In those cases, further rapid progress and acceleration of cure were often observed when they were transferred to the sea, and that to a remarkable degree. TECHNIQUE OF SEABATHING.

Sir Henry Gauvain proceeded to refer to the technique of therapeutic seabathing, and said it had been found at Hayling Island that the rising tide was to be preferred to the falling tide, because it was fresher, more saline, and more invigorating. The best, time for bathing was about two to three hours after breakfast, and if a rising tide and a bright, sunny morning hapjiened to "oincide with that time, tiie best results might lie anticijifited. Sir Henry Gauvain said that, to get the best results, lie insisted ujion short immersion in cold seawater, rather than long immersion in warm seawater. For English children, certainly, the cold of the fresh English seas was more suitable than the warm, but enervating Alediterranean; and he had, indeed, found the same to lie true.for children who came from the trojiics. He added that healing was hastened while the psychological effect was marked, happiness, vivacity, and the joy of life being apparent. Russel advocated the drinking of large quantities of seawater, but, as to the value of that procedure, ho (Sir Henry Ganvain) hesitated to express an opinion.