Abstract
IT is to be regretted that in the brief historical review on phototherapy which appeared in NATURE of December 15 under the title “The Treatment of Disease by Artificial Light” no reference is made to the work of Dr. O. Bernhard, of St. Moritz. Dr. Bernhard is one of the founders of modern phototherapy. He discovered in 1902 the remarkable action of sunlight at the high altitude of the Engadine on the healing of wounds, and he was then led to investigate the general therapeutic action of sunlight in other surgical conditions, including surgical tuberculosis. A few years ago he reported that among the first 1000 cases of surgical tuberculosis treated by him he obtained 858 cases of cure and 120 of definite improvement. He is, however, careful to point out that heliotherapy is not a specific against tuberculosis, but like Sir Henry Gauvain looks upon it as a powerful adjuvant. It was Dr. Bernhard's early observation in 1902 which induced Dr. Rollier in 1904 to open his sanatorium at Leysin, with the brilliant results which are now so well known.
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CRAMER, W. Heliotherapy and Phototherapy. Nature 113, 80 (1924). https://doi.org/10.1038/113080a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/113080a0
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