Sunlight and health / by C.W. Saleeby.

  • Saleeby, C. W. (Caleb Williams), 1878-1940.
Date:
1928
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Sunlight and health / by C.W. Saleeby. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    210/218 (page 174)
    different in their action upon us. Moore also called sunlight “ lethal,” and said that living things must protect themselves against it, and “ that is why the leaves are green.” Here, verily, Professor Moore forgot himself. We had to rub our eyes and remind ourselves that a writer of the same name and history was one of the foremost living students of the fundamental function of chlorophyll upon which, thanks to sunlight, the whole living world depends ! In the presence of a proper body of know¬ ledge on this subject, such as we have on many others, vastly more complex and less important, it would have been impossible for so distinguished a student to expose himself to such overwhelming destructive criticism, and to injure the causes of biology, hygiene and medicine as he did. No one who had seen Leysin or Alton, or opened “ La Cure de Soleil,” or seen the children of sunny Canada, could have used such language of the light of day. Again I say, we need “ more light.” In Sonne’s view, all our ideas hitherto are wrong. The action of light is specific beyond question. (What a pity that we talk about “ open-air ” treat¬ ment, and forget the light.) But it is not chemical, but calorific. To my question mooted above—-If calorific, why do not other measures for warming the blood act as well ?—the reply of Sonne is that no other measures warm the blood as the “ universal light bath ” does. The ultra-violet he dismisses. The red and yellow rays, in the energy of which sunlight is incomparably superior to all artificial luminants, do the work. Properly used, they warm