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Sun ray treament

Re: Sun Ray Treatment

Oh my lord I had forgotten about my time spent having Sunray Treatment at Harvey Road Clinic, I was told I had to have it because I was a pale fussy eater! In later years I worked at that very Clinic briefly. I remember the goggles and the smell of the lamps to this day!
 
Re: Sun Ray Treatment

Hadnt thought about the sun ray treatment in years and years. All these posts took me right back though. Think I went to the Childrens Hospital and yes I remember stripping down to the waist and wearing the goggles and oh yes you never forget that smell. Not sure why I had to go but I was a bit skinny in those days and did have pneumonia when I was 8, perhaps thats why.

Thats what's so brilliant about this site ~ it brings back to mind things that had long since been buried by the more recent 'stuff'
 
I too attended sun ray treatment in the early 50's. Can't remember exactly where but remember like others sitting there in just my undies &wearing goggles. Think it was because i had a bad cough. Being fair i was always able to sit in the sunshine & tan well. Maybe a connection there. In my 60's now & can't do the same though i have a dreadful cough all the time & gp doesn't know why.
 
Sunlight was regarded as a cure-all in the 1930s and on, there was evidence that patients in sunlit wards recovered better than those in dark wards and sunlight killed some bacteria.It was widely used as treatment for TB and bone diseases, especially rickets as it is needed to synthesise Vitamin D for healthy bones, hence the old sanatoria all had open out wards and the patients had their time outside no matter what the weather - this was still happening in the late 70's, I remember pushing the beds out for their daily fresh air, no excuses!!
The sunray treatment was used as a general treatment for any complaint, real or perceived, a bit like prescriptions were used at one time lol!.
Jenniewren, sorry to hear about your cough, no consolation, but a cough is one of the hardest things to dianose/cure according to our respiratory consulant. Hope yours soon gets better.
Sue
 
Sue I think we are lucky to have you on the forum your knowledge of nursing and illnesses is excellent. I know that sounds bad but you know what I mean. Your years of nursing has given you the knowledge and you obviously enjoy your job. We could do with a few more on the wards like yourself. Thank you for the information as my mother had rickets as a child and back then didn't realise it was a lack of sunlight.
 
Thanks Wendy and yes I do love my job - even though I moan about it at times!! - and rickets is becoming more common again, in poverty stricken areas where the people are not getting vitamin D in the diet - fish and milk contain it as well as it being added to some cereals - and the culture now for a lot of youngsters to spend most of their time on games consoles or in front of the telly means that it does not get processed.
Sad really to think that a preventable disease is returning :(
Sue
 
I had sun ray treatment for god knows what. I was a bit pale and skinny and had red hair maybe that was why I had it. It seemed it was cure for all ills. Maybe we should bring it back.The thing I remember most about it was the smell of the lamp and sitting in my underpants. Red faced....was that the lamp or having to sit with girls in only my underpants.
 
Re: sunlamp treatment

I had to undergo "sunlamp treatment" in Northampton in the early 1960's --- hated it. The clinic was newly painted, which smelled. Then the goggles smelled. We sat in our underpants; girls could keep their vests on. We sat on hard seats in a semicircle and were strictly warned not to peep outside our goggles. I was so scared I shut my eyes inside my goggles.

The only reason for me going was that a school doctor had labelled me "not thriving", which infuriated my parents: I lived on a farm, ate tons, drank fresh milk every day --- so my mum was very insulted. But I was a very skinny kid.
 
Re: sunlamp treatment

Hi Farmboy I have photo's of this treatment in a very old set of medical books and the photo's are just as you explained. Enjoy the forum.
 
Re: sunlamp treatment

Hi I had sunlamp treatment at the school clinic, i dont know what road it was in but the clinic was between Hobmoor Road and Belchers lane by heartlands hospital (little Bromwich in those days) I too remember that the gogles smelt awful, i went there for quite a long time but never found out why.
 
Re: sunlamp treatment

I remember going to that clinic for sun ray treatment, it was in Yardley Green Rd, opposite the Samson & lion Pub.

Nick
 
Re: sunlamp treatment

Spot on Nick I couldent remember the name of the road. I also had a couple of teeth pulled there.
 
Re: sunlamp treatment

I think there is another thread on the forum about Sunray treatment as I am sure I have made an entry. I went for ages to Sheep Street clinic in the city. Every Friday afternoon (which was typical as it was the afternoon that we didn't do lessons but were able to take our toys to school) I would sit there around the lamp in navy blue knickers and horrible goggles. I suppose the main reason for going was because I was bought up in Birmingham in the 1950's , living very close to Saltley Gas Works, lots of factories, smoke, smog and general industrial fall out!

I was quite a sickly child!
 
Re: sunlamp treatment

I too was brought up near Saltley Gasworks, in Reginald Rd. I thought the clinic I went to was in Sheepcote Street for my treatment. I can still remember the horrible smell of the lamp, I went because I always suffered with bronchitis.
 
Re: sunlamp treatment

I went to sheep street clinic in the late 40's not for sunray treatment, ..l too was a sickly child with asthma and l had to go every week for breathing exercise...l only breathed through my mouth and l had to be taught to inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth...do'nt know how long l went there but it i was cured.....brenda
 
Re: sunlamp treatment

I also remember going to Sheep Street clinic for the sunlamp treatment followed by an infra red lamp treatment then into the gym to excercise, remember climing up the ropes to the ceiling. I believe the treatment was to ward off ricketts which was common in inner city areas.
 
I went to Warren Road Clinic,Kingstanding. Must have been 1959-60. I had mild acne and was sent there for treatment . Remember undressing down to vest and pants, but when i think about it the smell was the most off putting.
 
Intresting stories Brian, but do you personaly think it was worth the effort
Did you get results from it or not as i recall those sun ray light was not much of a thing
And todays eqiverent you have got the sun tanning shops which will do you the shop alot qiucker
My brother inlaw all his life from school dsys suffered all these ailments
After a couple of weeks it cleared a life time of acne,my younger brother always had that problem
From boy to youth but eventaly he got sorted he used to try aslsorts of remendyies
Just like when radio luxenburg was on there air waves always publishing out
Adverts for these diffefent creams never worked for him eitherbest wishes Astonian,,,,
 
Astonian, I did not personally experience sun ray treatment. I was just commenting on the thread because I was surprised that it was used as late as the 1960s and perhaps 1970s.

I dont know how effective it was. Sunlight produces vitamin d so I guess if a person was low on this vitamin, the treatment would help. Extreme deficiency in vitamin d can cause rickets.

This sun ray treatment also used to be used as a treatment for skin conditions.

Reading through the postings on this thread it looks like it was used for a wide range of illnesses and for pale skinny kids.

Sun ray therapy, of sorts, is still used e.g. special lamps are used to treat psoriasis and S.A.D. (seasonal affective disorder) lamps can even be bought in Argos stores.

These days doctors warn us about the risks of skin cancer from sun tan lamps so I cant see this treatment coming back anytime soon.
 
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I can't post a link but typing the words "daily mail sun ray therapy" into Google lists an interesting article on the history of this treatment.
 
I had sun-Ray treatment at York Road School in 1942/1943. It was done weekly in the school hall. We stripped to our knickers and wore goggles and sat on sheets on the floor. I had been in Little Bromwich Fever Hospital for several months with double pneumonia and whooping cough and I think that was the reason for my having this treatment every week for many weeks.
 
health and safety would have had a field day if they saw want went on in them school clinics. it looks like some thing off the horror channel
 

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All that's missing is a truckload of pods and we'd have Invasion of the Body Snatchers :) :)

Maurice
 
good gosh they were making them by machine. that why we went to clone us lol
 

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