In 1928, one Emmitt K. Knott-a scientist in Seattle WA ran some experiments on exposing the blood to UVC rays in the treatment of women with severe bacterial infections due to abortions. The local hospital wrote off many of these patients as they were not responding to the sulfa preparations-some had temperatures of over 108 degrees and death was certain. Knott was told to do as he wished with these patients-and after one and sometimes two UBI exposures the patients symptoms completely subsided within 24 hours. The mechanisms by which UBI worked then were not remotely understood-and actually today they are still not completely understood.

 The treatment is executed by a medical person withdrawing about 150-250 ml's of whole blood from the patient. Using a venipuncture at the elbow or hand, the practitioner withdraws the blood as it flows through a clear "cuvette". The blood then enters a small quartz glass chamber to spread the blood thin enough where it travels through a small machine that exposes the blood to the UV rays. The medical person then returns the blood back through the machine and into the patient.

 In 1939 Dr. George Miley, MD, made a study of the effects of 97 blood irradiation treatments given to people suffering from various diseases. His observations:

1. A 58% increase in the venous oxygen content in ten minutes.
2. A 9% decrease in venous oxygen after a half hour.
3. A 50% increase in venous oxygen one hour to one month after treatment.

Dr. Miley, a practitioner of thousands of UBI treatments in the 1940's-made this comment about Emmitt Knott, " I think personally that this is one of the greatest contributions to medicine ever made by a citizen of the United States." 

By the mid 1940's UBI had really begun to roll. Dr. Miley reported using UBI on viral pneumonia (still a big killer today) would cure this condition rather quickly. He reported:

1.   Complete subsidence of toxic symptoms 24-76 hours after a single treatment.
2.   Disappearance of cough in 3-7 days.
3.   X-ray evidence of complete clearing of the lungs within 24-96 hours after a single treatment (Miley, American Journal of Bacteriology,45:303, June , 1943

Dr Henry Barrett reported on 110 cases of UBI in 1940 (Medical Clinics of America, May, 1940) Most patients received one treatment, some as many as eight. He noted several patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis-these patients improved remarkably within a few hours. One case was of a patient suffering from serious bronchial asthma attacks for over four years. The patient was in the hospital, and despite medication , was having several asthma attacks per day. After one UBI treatment her doctor reported the next day that she had only one attack that day. After that she had 2-3 asthma episodes a week for 3 weeks. The attacks became fewer and fewer and became absent for months after a single treatment.

Barrett reported on his 110 cases:

1. No detrimental reactions from UBI.
2. Improvement is frequently immediate.
3. Increase in peripheral circulation (due to vasodilation).
4. Increase in oxygen combining power of the blood.
5. Inactivation of toxins in the blood.

Dr Miley also reported on 6 patients with herpes zoster infection-"shingles". Infection was nullified to the point that the patients became asymptomatic with no relapses. In January , 1942, Dr. Miley made the following observations-(NY State Journal of Medicine, Jan.1, 1942) "

The detoxification effect of ultraviolet is generally not known by the medical profession and certainly has not been emphasized enough. The inactivation of snake venom and bacterial toxins are examples of what may be accomplished by ultraviolet. The increased of blood irradiated with ultraviolet to absorb oxygen has been demonstrated. As a rule, rather low dosages of externally applied ultraviolet radiations stimulate the general resistance of animals and human beings to infection."

1950s    Enthusiasm over "new" antibiotics and vaccines caused the UVBI therapy to be replaced, despite the fact that for certain indications (hepatitis, viral pneumonia, and streptococcal toxemia) UBI treatment was demonstrably superior. Research into this effective therapy came to a virtual halt.

 1955 until the 1990s, only a few American physicians continued to work with UBI. Russia and Germany took the lead in Light Therapy producing scores of clinical studies.

 1990s to present.   There are over 250 practitioners in the US and over 3,000 in Europe.  Over 1 million UBI treatments have been successfully administered with astounding results and minimal side effects.