Light therapeutics; a practical manual of phototherapy for the student and the practitioner : with special reference to the incandescent electric-light bath.

  • Kellogg, John Harvey, 1852-1943.
Date:
1910
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Light therapeutics; a practical manual of phototherapy for the student and the practitioner : with special reference to the incandescent electric-light bath. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University.

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    IMPORTANCE OF COOLING THE SKIN SURFACE The electric-light bath affords the only means by which this may be accomplished. Light rays pass through a cold skin as well as a warm one. It is important to know, however, that unless certain precautions are ob- served, this most desirable effect may be lost. For ex- ample, in the use of the incandescent electric-light bath cabinet, if the cabinet is closed, the air surrounding the patient will be quickly heated and so a certain amount of depression will result. The heating of the air of the cabinet is never so great, however, as in the vapor or the Turkish bath. The perspiration induced in this bath is not the result of the heating of the air about the patient, but of the direct stimulation of the sweat glands by the thermic rays which penetrate below the surface. Thus the peculiar and excellent quality of the electric- light bath here emphasized is always in operation to a greater or less extent; but to secure the full benefit of this special property of the electric light, measures must be taken to promote the cooling of the skin surface dur- ing the application. This may be accomplished in sev- eral ways. A simple means always available is the cool- ing of the surface by rubbing over it at frequent intervals a piece of ice, or quickly wiping it off with a sponge or cloth dipped in cold water. This method may be used in connection either with the arc light or the photophore. This is an extremely practical and useful measure, as it may be employed under any circumstances. THE AIR BLAST AS A COOLING PROCEDURE Still another and very effective means of cooling is the air blast. This may be used by either of the meth-