Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-10-16

Luckily for the peace of mind of
those who desire and prize beautiful
hands, warts are principally confined
to childhood and early youth, and
generally disappear without treatment
after time. They are only an an
noyance. though sometimes they are
so aggravated in form or location as to
be sore, painful. or very inconvenient.
These unWeIcOme eXcrescences are
principally an abnormal growth of the
papille of the skin, and that they are
confined chiefly to early life is doubt
less due to the fact that the processes
of growth are then so strong and
vigorous. 1t is curiosity that they
appear only where the victim is in good
health, with all the forces of the system
in active operation. Their presence is
not. therefore, to be looked upon as in
any sense an indication of form of
disease. 1t is generally the part of
wisdom to pay little attention to warts,
aud it is certainly unwise, as is some
times done, to distigure the hands or
fingers with ugly and permanent sears
IN order to remove annoyances which
in short time will doubtless take 10
themselves wings and disappear.
There are gentler methods of treat
ment. however, which may be resorted
to. and which will frequently if not
generally prove etficacious. Perhaps
the simplest application, one which is
in any case entirely harmless. and
which by patient attention is likely 10
drive away the wart, is the use of
strong solution of washing soda. from
four 10 six times daily. OF acid appl-
cations there are number, all of
which are to be adopted only with the
greatest care, since the presence of
strong acids upon the normal skin may
cause pain, soreness, and even dis
fgurement. In making these applica-
tions, if the operator has not the skill
or the patience to work very carefully.
it is well to cover the skin Immediately
surrounding the wart with a coating of
wax, vaseline, or strong solution of
soda to neutralize the acid, in case it
overfows the intended limits The
acids which may be used for this pur-
pose. in the order of their strength and
danger, are simple acetic. the glacial
acetic saturate solution of salicylic.
nitric, and sulphuric. The two last
named are very dangerous, and the
best way to use them is to let them re-
main at the drug store. The applica-
ton of any of these or of nitrate of
silver Qunar caustic) produces a dead
film or skin on top of the wart which
in a day or two may be scraped or
peeled off, and in this way the process
is repeated till the wart has disappear
ed. Even then. there is no assurance
that the roots nave been destroyed, and
it is quite among the possibilities that
the whole work may in a short time
have to be done over.
Other methods of treating warts
include Iigature. by which a silken
thread is drawn tightly about beneath
the wart and tightened till the part is
cut off. This treatment can only be
used in case of favorable formations,
it is not certain to produce a per-
manent cure. and-it savors of
brutality. So also does the use of the
knife. whether for the purpose of
'scraping" out the abnormal growth,
or of cutting it clearly away. Neither
method will commend itself. except in
extreme cases, and then it is better to
employ skilled hand.-Go0d House