Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-04-12
THE SKIN AND SCALP,
How to Preserve Them and How to
Treat Them When Diseased.

How TO Preserve Them and How to
Treat Them When Diseased.
Il Fair Skin and Lurmriant Tresses, the
Secret Of Beauty.
Some OF the fortunes Inflicted by
Skin and scalp Diseases.
n TaImabye Treatise, on Mary Bayars,
J0sseIyn, VI. D., of Ne,c York.
Apart from the suffering caused by skin dis
to whom a delicate and pearly complexion Is
the dearest wish Of their lives is paramount tn
all others. No lady afflicted with cutaneous
erupt1OnS, or loss OF hair. will deny that to OBJ
tain fair skin and luxurant tresses, she would
gladly exchange the designations that now
mar her otherwise handsome face. hands, Or
even danger-could their existence be con
cealed from the publ!ceye. There is sOmethn.
repusive about face covered with hutnor and
all the grace OF manner and brilliant pc FerS OF
conversation can scarcely remove the impress
sion produced on one who witnesses It, 1t is
remembered when more important and worthy
lady's life has been embittered by cutaneouS' ar
fectionS She imagneS that every one sees aud
comments upon her looks. She avoids society
and public places, and endeavors to hide he
mis- cry In Seclusion. Here tue struggle = in
prove her appearance is renewed. No re.aei,
Is too repulsive or dingerOu., to be use1 Ars.-
uiC 10 ucNOuItu Ill large Q11uGlLleS, me:clry u
taken internally and applied externally, until
the teeth rattle in their loosened sockets, and
tne system grOaDS beneath the load of poisons
1t Is obliged to carry.
II such be the feelings OF one afflicted with
sile Mt skin blemishes, what must be the con
dition OF those suffering from salt rheun, letter
ringWorm, pemphigus. psoriasis, leorosy, lichel
pfurieO, and scald head? No pen can fnliy
describe the torlures they endure Death /,
many cases might be considered a BILE ISL 10
Ire burning heat. Inflammation, and i5ch'n {
nearly 1mpel the sufferer to do violence to him
self in order to end his sufTerings. 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 thesf
limos, SO great was the agony they endured
With view to impart some useful infOrma
ton on the construction ard preservation Of the
skin, scalp. and hair, and the proper Treatment
Of them when diseased, have here )ndensel
TO popular form such Information as la most
desired.
THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE SKIN.
The Skin Is composed of two layers, which
may be separated from each other by the acfioA
OF blister; The thin portion, which Is raised
up by the blister. is called the scarf skin, the
cnticte, or the epidermis; that which rem ltns III
connection with the body is the Sensitive ska.
the cuts, the derma. or the true skin. Each h.
separate duties to perform. The sc1rf skin is
horny and 1nsensibe, and serves as a sheath la
protect the more sensitive skin under il. Were
the scarf skin taken Off, We could not bear 70
have ANYTHING touch us. The der,aa. or true
SKIN and Its glands, Oil tubes, etc, are the sen
OF all cutaneous diseases. These may be seya-
rated INTO four great divisions, viz, diseases OF
tubes, diseases Of the Oil glands and Juoes. AMI
diseases OF the hair and hair glands.
TIE OIL AND SWEAT GLANDS
That the skin may be pliable and healthy it l.
necessary to have 1t oiled every day. and for
this the Creator has wisely provided by placing
in the true skin small glands and tubes, who's.
office tt is to prepare and pour out upon the
surface the proper amount of OIL. TN som
parts OF the body they do not exist. but are
abundant On the face, nose, ears, head eyelils
etc. They produce the wax OF the ears. and on
the head they open into the sheath of the hair.
and furnish 1t with natures own hair oil Or
pomade. When the skin is healthy, the se 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 be injured by having the Oil
removed from it.
FREQUENT wAsH1NGS WITH PURE SOAP
tfree 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 10 health or to properly treat
them when diseased-and lukewarm water fol-
lowed by brisk rubbing with coarse towel!
will do more to preserve the he althy action OF
the oil glands and tubes, upon which depends a
clear and wholesome complexion, than all the
and perfect action OF the sweat and fat or Oil
glands In the preservation OF the general health
as we'll as the special condition Of the skin, TIA
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 mater per
DAY, and their Importance In the publication OF
the blood and fluids Of the body Is 80 great that
were they closed by an impervious coating like
rubber OF oiled SILK, death would soon asiIe.
=, inc daily occupation of m my, want OF c'ela-
illness In others, and the inheritance OF slug
gisn SKID, pave tne way for numerous d5ease5
OF these vessels and tubes. Their cont eats, in
stead of flowing freely, become hard ana In
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 81,
little that the skin IS dry and hard. In the hard,
ened oily matter that constitutes comedones are
found small animals, which Erasmus Wilson.
the great authority, calls "tue animal OF the
oily product Of the skin"
THE GREAT SKIN AND SCALP DISEASES
But bad as are minor forms of skin diseases
they sink into insignlhcance when compares
with the great skin and scalp diseases wit,
which thousands are afflicted during the:i
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, tel
ter, r1ngWorm, psoriasis, tmpetigo, leprosy
lichen, Prurigo, BARRIERS itch, Jacksons itch
bakers itch, ground itch, scald head, aud dan
Towering above all others In extent, Ia dura-
ton, In suffering, is
ECZEMA,
commonly called salt rehum. Wilson divides 1.
into twelve species, and others into many more.
but 1t Is sufficiently clear to the average reaier
and will be recognized by its small water,
blister, about the size OF a pinhead, wherever
seen. Prurigo, impetigo, and psoriasis are bu
little behind salt rheum In the suffering they
cause. Scald head Is another obstinate afrec-
ton, defytng all remedies, destroying the iatr
and producing great misery and suffering. ,rne,
scalp, like the skin, Is subject to salt rhe,,m
letter, dandruf1, and other eruptive and sc aly
diseases, which generally destroy the hair foil
cles and produce permanent badness.
THE TREATMENT
of diseases of the skin and scalp has been for
centuries based upon the mistaken theory th4
they are entirely due to some impurity Of Til
blood. No special attention has ever been dl-
rected to the important part the sweat and IA
glands play In the propagation and malnte-
nance of disease.
It is no unjust reflection upon the medical
profession to say that It's efforts In the cure OF
skin diseases have been a failure What With
mistaken theories, poisonous remedies and
blind adherence to methods and practices orr.
gtnating In ignorance and superstition, salt
rheum, scald head and psoriasis flourish and
increase upon systems shattered by the copious
use, both internal and external, Of mercury,
arsenic, zinc and lead. DR.. Wood mildly admits
that the mercurial influence does sometimes
produce salt rheum-a fact so we'll known thaG
IT, ia recorded in most tha tpyt nnOkl mpr-