ULTRA VIOLET RAYS.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXX, Issue 5371, 7 January 1929, Page 3

ULTRA VIOLET RAYS.

WILL REVOLUTIONISE MEDICINE. A DOCTOR’S OPINION. o The opinion that ray therapy, which is now being used on the King, will in time revolutionise modern medicine was expressed by Dr- H. Graham Robertson, who is regarded as the pioneer of ultra-violet ray treatment in New Zealand.

There was a very unfortunates confusion, said Dr. Dobeitson, between ultra-violet ray and violet ray. The latter was only an electric current parsed, through a vacuum tube, while uultra-.violejt ray was made of wave lengths, and was divided into, roughly three regions, all of which had different properties. One of. the regions was called the long-wave region; that was what was being used on the King at the present time. The ultraviolet ray acted on the living cells of the skin, and also on the; blood and nerve endings.

The action of the tonic, ray which was playing a part in the treatment of His Majesty was, roughly, about fourfold, continued Dr. Robertson. It increased tremendously thq killing power, of the blood against germs, strengthened the resisting power of the blood against germs, incrqasld the calcium iron and phosphate in the blood, and strengthened the internal glands. It was on an equilibrium of thosje that one’s health largely depended.

“If you take those four action into account you will realise What the treatment means in its applicability to the King,” said Dr. Robertson. “At thq s,ame time one has to remember, that the application of the ultraviolet ray to large skin surfaces sets up congestion of. the lungs, so that in the treatment of chest conditions care has to be exercised. It has also to be remembered that ultra-violet ray replaces nothing at all; it is mqrely an adjunct, and cU the other surgical have to be brought in. The leading ‘light’ me ll throughout the world are strongly of opinion that it should be used not merely by doctors,, but by men who have been trained to, it; and. the various medical associations, recognising that, are seeking} .ways and means whereby that very desirable! result will be brought about.” Dr. Robertson sajfi that when he was Home about three years ago what struck him mo's.t was that tife claims of therapy were considerably hampered by prejudice and ignorance and the enthusiastic claims made for it by some of those who were using it. Personally he thought that in view of the part it was playing in the treatment of the King it would be given its recognised position in the medli.cal world. The educational authorities in England had taken the matter up, and their efforts in the schools and similar, institutions were limited only by their financial position. All through London these “light houses” were to be found. Hundreds and .hundreds of children received treatment every day. It was possible, .added the doctor, to obtain ultra-,violet ray treatment in the hospitals of the four centres in New Zealand, so far as he knew. “The great trouble here,” he said, “is that the doctors who wish to .use,it have no opportunity of studying it except by books. I think ra,y therapy is going ,to revolutionise modern medicine.