The Portland daily press., 1879-07-01
How to Preserve Them and how
to Treat Them when Diseased.
A Fair Skin and Luxuriant
Tresses the Secret of Beauty.
Some of the fortunes Inflicted
by Skin and Scalp Diseases.
A Valuable Treatise by Mary E. Josselyn,
M D., eff New York.

Apart from the suffering caused by skin dis
eases, their influence on the happiness of those
to whom delicate and pearly complexion is
the dearest wish of their lives is paramount to
all others. No lady afflicted with cutaneous
eruptions, or loss of hair will deny that, to OBJ
tain a fair skin and luxuriant tresses, she
would gladly exchange the designations that
now mar her otherwise handsome face, hands,
or hair. for other diseases of greater severity
even danger-could their existence be conceal
cd from the public eye. There is something
repulsive about a face covered with humor; and
all the grace of manner and brilliant powers of
conversation can scarcely remove the impression
produced on one who witnesses it. 1t is re-
membered when more important and worthy
subjects are forgotten. Many an estimable
lady's life has been embittered by cutaneous
affections. She imagnes that every one she
sees comments upon her looks. She avoids So
ciety and public places, and endeavors to hide
her misery in seclusion. Here the struggle to
improve her appearance is renewed. No rem
edy is too repulsive or dangerous to be used.
Arsenic is devoured in large quantities. mercu-
ry is taken internally and applied externally,
until the teeth rattle in their loosened sockets,
and the system groans beneath the load of poi
sons it is obliged to carry.
If such be the feelings of one afflicted with
slight skin blemishes, what must be the con-
dition of those suffering from salt rheum, tet-
ter, ringworm, pemphigus psoriasis, leprosy,
lichen, prurigo, and scald head? No pen can
fully describe the fortunes they endure Death
in many cases might be considered blessing.
The burning heat, Inflammation, and itching
nearly impel the sufferer to do violence to him.
self in order to end his sufferings. I have seen
patients tear their flesh with their nails until
the blood flowed in streams. Others have told
me that they could cut the flesh from their
limbs, SO great was the agony they endured.
With view to impart some useful informa-
ton on the construction and preservation of
the skin, scalp, and hair, and the proper treat
ment of them when diseased, have here con-
densed to popular form such information as
is most desired.
THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE SKIN.
The skin is composed of two layers, which
may be separated from each other by the action
of q blister. The thin portion which is raised
up by the action of the blister, is called the
scarf skin, the cuticle, or the epide1nis; that
which remains in connection with the body is
the sensitive skin, the cults, the derma or the
true skin. Each has separate duties to per-
form. The scarf skin is horny and insensible,
and serves as a sheath to protect the more SEN
sitive skin under it. Were the scarf skin
taken off, we could not bear to have anything
touch us. The derma or true skin and its
glands, oil tubes etc., are the seat of all cuta-
neous diseases These may be separated into
four great divisions, viz, diseases of the true
skin, diseases of the sweat glands and tubes,
diseases of the oil glands and tubes and dis
eases of the hair and hair glands.
THE OIL AND SWEAT GLANDS.
That the skin may be pliable and healthy it
is necessary to have it oiled every day, and for
this the Creator has wisely provided by placing
in frua cki in Olo dc o1,1 t,1,ac
office it is to prepare and pour out upon the
surface the proper amount of oil. On some
parts of the body they do not exist, but are
abundant on the face, nose, ears, head, eyelids,
etc. They produce the wax of the ears, and on
the head they open into the sheath of the hair,
and furnish it with natures own hair oil or po-
made. When the skin is healthy, these little
vessels are always at work, and constantly re-
spending to the demands made upon them.
Consequently no person should be afraid to
water, lest, as the Boston Medical journal
once taught the skin may be in ured by having
the Oil removed from it.
FREQUENT WASHING WITH PURE SOAP
Gree from caustic alkalies)-and have some
thing to say further on about soap that will be
of interest to all who desire to preserve the
skin and scalp in health or to properly treat
them when diseaSed-an3 Iukewarm water
followed by brisk rubbing with coarse towel,
will do more to preserve the healthy action of
the oil glands and tubes, upon which depends
a clear and wholesome complexion, than all
the cosmetics in the world So important is
the free and perfect action of the sweat and
fat or oil glands in the preservation of the gen.
eral health, as well as the special condition of
the skin, that particular attention to them will
be rewarded by increased physical health.
They discharge upon the surface of the body
about two and one half pounds of matter per
day, and their importance in the publication
of the blood and fluids of the body is so great
that were they closed by an impervious coat
ing, like rubber or oiled silk death would soon
ensue.
The daily occupation of many, want of clean
illness in others, and the inheritance of slug
gish skin, pave the way for numerous diseases
of these vessels and tubes. Their contents in
stead of flowing freely, become hard and i'm
pacted, and the vessels are not emptied.
Hence the origin of many diseases.
Sometimes the action of the gland is too great,
and oil is poured out so profusely that the sur
face shines with it. AT other times there is so
little that the skin is dry and hard In the
hardened oily matter that constitutes COM
edones are found small animals, which Eras-
mus Wilson, the great authority, calls the an
imal of the oily product of the skim
THE GREAT SKIN AND SCALP DISEASES.
But bad as are minor forms of skin diseases.
they sink into insignifcance when compared
with the great skin and scalp diseases with
which thousands are afflicted during their
whole lives. That the reader may know more
about them, the principal affections are here
named, emitting such as are symptoms of con-
stitutional diseases, like measles, rash etc.
The most important are salt rheum, or eczema,
letter, ringworm, psoriasis impetigo, leprosy,
lichen, prurigo, BARRIERS itch, Jackson's ITCH
bakers itch, ground itch, scald head, and dan
druff.
Towering above all others in extent, in du-
ration, in suffering, is
ECZEMA.
commonly called salt rheum. Wilson divides
it into twelve Species and others into many
more; but it is sufficiently clear to the average
reader, and will be recognized by its small
watery blister, about the size of q pinhead
wherever seen. Prurigo, impetigo and pso-
riasis are but little behind salt rheum in the
suffering they cause. Scald head is another
obstinate affection, defying all remedies, des-
troying the hair, and producing great misery
and suffering. The scalp, like the skin, is snb-
lect to salt rheum, letter, dandruff, and other
eruptive and scaly diseases, which generally
destroy the hair follicles and produce perma-
nent badness.
THE TREATMENT.
of diseases of the skin and scalp has been for
centuries based upon the mistaken theory that
they are entirely due to some mpurity of the
blood No special attention has ever been di-
rected to the important part the sweat and fat
glands play in the propagation and mainte-
nance OF disease.
1t is no unjust reflection upon the medical
profession to say that its efforts in the cure of
skin diseases have been failure. What with
mistaken theories, poisonous remedies and
blind adherence to methods and practices
originating in ignorance and superstition, salt
rheum, scald head and psoriasis flourish and
increase on systems shattered by the copious
use, both internal and external, of mercury
arsenic, zinc, and lead. DIR. Wood mildly ad-
mits that the mercurial influence does some
times produce salt rheum,--a fact so well
known that it is recorded in most of the text-
books as mercurial eczema.
BLOOD PURIFIERS
For centuries it has been the ponular notion
that diseases of the skin and scalp must he
cured, if cured at all, by purifying the blood.
Admitting that this is partly true, what has
been the method or what the remedies Inv
which it was sought to be accomplished?
MERCURY AND ARSENIC.
Putting aside the senseless "sarsaparilla ,,
"dock," and "dandelion' "blood purifiers ;"
and considering only those remedies that have
received the sanction of physicians, hospitals,
and colleges we find that mercury and arsenic
are the only medicinal agents of TODAY. as
they were hundreds of years ago, which are re-
garded by the regular as having specific
medical properties for the publication of the
blood, and hence the only remedies adapted to
the treatment of skin and scalp diseases.
A FEW PoIsoNs
Out of seventeen prescriptions denominated
"alteratiVeS'' or "blood purifiers, taken fron,