Auguste Rollier (1 October 1874 - 30 October 1954) was a Swiss

physician A physician, medical practitioner (British English), medical doctor, or simply doctor is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through the Medical education, study, Med ...

best known for his research on heliotherapy.

History

Rollier was born at Saint-Aubin, Fribourg. He was educated at Zurich and Berne Universities and graduated in medicine in 1898. He worked under

Emil Theodor Kocher Emil Theodor Kocher (25 August 1841 – 27 July 1917) was a Swiss physician and medical researcher who received the 1909 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his work in the physiology, pathology and surgery of the thyroid. Among his many a ...

for four years. In 1903, Rollier opened his Institute of Heliotherapy in

Leysin Leysin is a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality of the Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Vaud in the Aigle (district), Aigle district of Switzerland. It is first mentioned around 1231–32 as ''Leissins'', in 1352 as ''Leisins''. Located ...

. He advocated fresh air, physical exercise, rest and sunshine to treat his patients. He became known for his treatment of skeletal tuberculosis by heliotherapy (light therapy). He combined

sunbathing Sun tanning or tanning is the process whereby skin color is darkened or tanned. It is most often a result of exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from sunlight or from artificial sources, such as a tanning lamp found in indoor tanning be ...

with climatic treatment by cold air and high altitude. After

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, it was reported that 1746 of 2167 patients had recovered their health under his care. Rollier was influenced by the research of

Niels Ryberg Finsen Niels Ryberg Finsen (15 December 1860 – 24 September 1904) was a physician and scientist. In 1903, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine and Physiology "in recognition of his contribution to the treatment of diseases, especially lupus vu ...

and established sunbathing clinics in the Swiss Alps. R. A. Hobday noted that "Rollier practised sunlight therapy at Leysin for over forty years and had thirty-six clinics with a total of more than 1,000 beds." After antimicrobial therapy became available, heliotherapy for tuberculosis was no longer practiced. Rollier was elected an honorary member of the American Clinical and Climatological Association in 1923.

Selected publications

*''La Cure de Soleil'' (1914) *''Heliotherapy'' (1923) *''Heliotherapy, With Special Consideration of Surgical Tuberculosis'' (1927)

References

Citations

Sources

* * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Rollier, Auguste 1874 births 1954 deaths 20th-century Swiss physicians Light therapy advocates University of Zurich alumni