TECHNICAL REVIEW.
Neils R. Finsen, graduate of
Copenhagen University in 1890, al
though well trained for a doctor’s
profession, found”himself unable to
follow it on account of physical
weakness; so he accepted a posi
tion as preceptor in anatomy at the
University of Copenhagen. Believ
ing that light could be used to cure
disease, he took upon himself the
task of finding its healing value.
He tried the action of lights of dif
ferent colors upon animals and found
that blue, violet and ultra-violet (the
chemical rays) were the only ones
valuable for his puipose. In 1893
he published a paper with the title,
“ The influence of Lights on the
Skin” in which he announced a
light treatment to prevent the scars
usually left by smallpox. This
treatment consists in keeping the
patient in a room to which only red
light is admited. This results in the
prevention of suppuration, the -most
dangerous and most painful stage
of the disease, and effects recovery
without the appearance of scars.
Soon after the publication of this
paper, Finsen discovered that the
chemical rays kill bacteria and that
they should be useful in treating
skin disease of bacterial origin. He
made his first test in 1895 on Neil
Morgensen, an engineer of Copen
hagen, who was suffering with lupus.
This disease is caused by the tuber
culosis bacteiium becoming active in
the skin, instead of in some internal
organ. Finsen went to work con
centrating the sunlight upon the sore
by means of a hand lens, first re
moving the red rays and rendering
the light cool by passing it through
blue water. This treatment was
continued for one or two hours each
day for six months, by which time
the cure was complete.
Within a month Finsen was of
fered room in the grounds of the
Commune Hospital of Copenhagen,
where he began to apply himself to
THE STATE COLLEGIAN
increasing the penetrating power of
the rays, for at the best they enter
the body only a fraction of an inch.
He found that the rays penetrate
farther when the skin is rendered
white and bloodless by pressure,
and also found the electric arc light
much richer in these rays than the
sun.
The*Finsen light, as finally used,
consisted of an 80-ampere arc light
carrying four telescope-like tubes
which contain quartz-condensing
lenses and water for cooling. This
arrangement enables four patients to
be treated from one lamp.
The patients lie on cots, while the
nurses direct the tubes so that the
rays are focused upon the diseased
parts, and at the same time press
the spot with a water-filled glass,
which serves to drive out the blood
and help cool the light. The treat
ment lasts for one and one-quarter
hours each day, the cost for treat
ment being $17.00 a month tor poor
patients and $28.00 for those who
are in better circumstances. —Cash
Tech.
In ‘ ‘ Mines and Minerals ’ ’ for
February there is a very good des
cription of the Vesta Coal Co. mines
at California, Pa. by William L. Af
felder ’99. The article is illustrated
by photographs and drawings and
is well worth reading. Mr. Affelder
is Superintendent of the Mosgrove
Coal Works near Kittanning, Pa.
The Most Popular College
Songs.
We have just received a copy of
“ The Most Popular College Songs ”
published by Hinds, Noble and El
dridge of New York City. The collec
tion contains all the songs dear to
the college man’s heart, re-arranged
and put forward in a new and inviting
form. We can heartily recommend
it to any one looking for an up-to
date collection of the latest as well as
the old and ever popular college
melodies. Price $1.50.
Rules for Inter=Class Debates
The Debating Club on Saturday
evening Feb. 11, adopted the follow
ing rules to govern inter-class de
bates for this year :
The subject of inter-class debat
ing shall be brought before the dif
ferent classes and a committee of
three appointed from each to act as
representatives of the classes.
The committees of the contesting
classes shall make arrangements for
the trial and inter-class debates as
follows :
The English department shall be
requested to submit a number of
questions one of which shall be then
chosen by one of these committees.
The choice of questions shall be by
lot, the losing committee having
choice of sides.
The same questions shall be used
for both trial and inter-class debates
except that the Seniors and Juniors
shall use a different question from
that used by the Sophomores and
Freshmen. The trial debates shall
be held March 3rd and 4th and the
class debates, the 24th and 25th.
The final prize debate April 14th.
The winning teams of the inter
class debates shall constitute the
teams for the prize debate.
It is suggested that the judges at
trial debates shall consist of two pro
fessors and one man from the con
testing class who shall be chosen by
the committee from that class.
The judges for the inter-class and
prize debates shall be chosen from
members of the Faculty, each com
mittee to choose one judge and these
two judges to choose a third.
Change of date.
Owing to circumstances entirely
beyond the control of the Manage
ment of the Y. M. C. A. Course, it
has found necessary to change the
date for Packard, The Humorist,
from March 4th, to about the mid
dle of April. The exact date will
be announced as soon as it is defi
nitely settled upon.