1904-5.] NIELS R. FINSEN—HIs LIFE AND WORK, 125 
on their customary yearly visit to their father, King Christian in Copen- 
hagen, investigated the work at the Lys-institut for themselves and saw 
there what was being done, and were so much impressed with the results 
that were being obtained, that on returning to their respective countries 
they took steps to have the whole matter looked into by independent 
observers of highest repute. And so, in 1898, the Prince of Oldenburg 
was sent from St. Petersburg to Copenhagen by the Empress of Russia, 
and was accompanied by three very eminent physicians to study the 
methods of Finsen. On their return, they had a most favorable report 
to give, and, as a result, a light institute was opened in St. Petersburg. 
Nor was the Princess of ‘Wales less impressed, or less active in this 
praiseworthy mission of help for the helpless, for in a private visit in 
July, 1899, to London Hospital in Whitechapel, the poor man’s hospital 
in the poor man’s district, the Princess enquired at great length as to the 
treatment carried out with regard to lupus cases, and informed the rather 
incredulous surgeons that a compatriot of her own had discovered a cure, 
and that she had personally seen results of the treatment at Copenhagen, 
offering at the same time to present a Finsen lamp to the Hospital, which 
generous offer was gladly accepted and arrangements made for the instal- 
lation of the apparatus, and on May 29th, 1900, the lamp was ready for 
service. Meanwhile the senior physician of the hospital, Dr. Stephen 
Mackenzie and Dr. Sequeira set off for Copenhagen to study the treatment ; 
two nurses were also sent to be trained in the methods, Her Highness 
doing everything possible to make their visit pleasant. 
As soon as treatment was commenced at the London Hospital a 
tremendous number of patients presented themselves, and a second lamp 
was soon added. But even this did not suffice to accommodate all the 
sufferers. Each lamp was of thirty thousand candle power and could be 
utilized on four patients at once. The cost of working one of these four 
tube lamps amounted to about $3,000 per year; this added greatly to the 
burden already borne by this great charity. The wonderful work that 
was being done came to the notice of Sir Alfred Harmsworth, and he and 
Mrs. Harmsworth decided to endow one of the lamps in perpetuity. Soon 
after this Mr. Percy Tarbutt raised a sum sufficient to endow the second 
lamp, namely, $50,000. Other lamps have recently been added, to- 
gether with some improved and smaller ones, so that at present twelve 
patients can be treated at once, each requiring a nurse. 
. The good example of royalty was followed soon, and lamps were in- 
stalled at Charing Cross and Westminster Hospitals, Liverpool, Man- 
chester, Royal Hospital in Dublin, and elsewhere in Great Britain. But 
even with all this provision, the capacity of the lamps is overtaxed at all 
times and the ‘‘waiting list’’ is lamentably long. 
