Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1901-10-10
Dermatoloqy.

One. OF the most enjoyable treats IN
general reading that have experienced
IN years came TO me in the columns or a
periodical published IN Philadelphia under
the title OF american Medicine.
They are lectures delivered in San
Francisco by Malcolm Morris. f. r. G. 8.
OF London, England, surgeon TO the de-
partment OF skin diseases at st. Mary $
hospital 1ae.- s.s
Dr. Lane, OF San Francisco. is the gem
erous person whose efforts have brought
this fine lecturer 70 America, and great
must be the enjoyment Of the doctors OF
this country in the opportunity thus pro-
vided.
7 have been privileged to read two Of
these lectures on ''Dermatology." and
shall eagerly await the next one, ana on
to the close Of the series.
As indicated by the title, Surgeon Nor
ris makes a speciality OF skin diseases.
The readers of The Journal are vitality In
terested in all matters pertaining TO ev-
eryday existence and everyday comfort. in
their own health and the health OF their
offspring. Therefore. the subject OF skin
diseases. known in modern medicine as
dermatology, Is peculiarly interesting
and instructive to homes and families.
The wise lecturer saysi mo man need
be more ashamed Of studying the skin
than Of studying the brain and the ner-
to occupy his whole attention. he has, at
any rate. the satisfaction Of feeling that
in his marrow. sphere he can often do
more TO relieve suffering than the men Of
larger aims. AS Browning says:
" This low man seeks a little thing to do,
Sees Il. and does It;
That high man. with a great thing TO
pursue.
Dies ere he knows IT."
The lecturer said every blotch and bleb
en- the human skin has a meaning. Just
as a blush may express love. anger.
shame. pleasure or excitement: so eryth-
ema may range in significance from a
chilblaip 70 a septic Infection Of the gray
est kind"
France. England. Austria and America
have given more attention to skin dis
eases than any other countries up TO date.
BacterioIogy seems TO have been the
eye-opener OF the world to the proper I'M
Outstanding OF skin diseases. Cutaneous
affections are I'm general evidence In ner-
vous disorders. Nervous overstrain. with
diseases OF the skin. ARE among the most
distressing cases that a dermatologist can
Be called on to treat" says DIR. Morris.
The infectious character OF skin dis
eases constitutes a most important part
OF this subject DR.. Morris says: Under
this head come motley group OF dis
eases. ranging from the incubation Of
also says IAN infection OF the skin. of lit
tie or no consequence in itself may be i'm
portant TO the happiness OF individuals
and families. owing 10 the unfounded sus-
pIcions 10 which Il may give rise"
There IS no question but very innocent
persons have been made the victims OF
''unfounded suspicious" and have had
entailed upon them the evil gossip Of in
correctly informed people regarding the
disease as suspected
The lecturer tells Of the danger that
attends decoration Of the skin, of hair
dyes and piercing the ears.
His description of itch is full Of instruc-
ton. In pursuing this subject he tells Of
Napoleon, who caught the itch at the
siege OF Toulon from handling the hammer
OF a gum previously handled by gunner
killed in the act OF firing. Napoleon load
ed fred, sweated and inhaled the scabies
with which the dead man was covered.
The virus OF scabies or itch followed him
all through the campaigns OF Egypt and
Italy. The emperor often tore his skin
until Il bled I'm his itching paroxysms.
Elderly people have not forgotten the
prevalence OF itch 40. so and so years ago
among school children. School children
not affected with Itch wore sulphur in a
little sack suspended from the neck TO
prevent the infection.
There Is a. full exposition Of the louise,
tells of an experience related by a ply
sician of Boston in the year 1885, where
affected children were excluded from
school. and several were sent back carry
rying physicians certificates that neither
nits nor lice were present.
"One determined mother, to make her
case more sure. sent her child with four
physicians certificates. some of whom
were. connected with the best hospitals
and dispensaries in Boston. but on exam
nation DR.. Greene found she, stin had
nlts
Robert Burns describes the louise as
''Detested, Stunned by saint an sinner, -
but some canonized saints were found
swarminR with such vermin.
Personal cleanliness. the lecturer said,
was rather a modern invention. for the
distinguished Lady Mary Wortley Mon
tagle was a well known beauty as well
as wilt. and a bath was a well-known
institution in her time. but some one ven
turing to hint that her hands might be
cleaner, she exclaimed:
do you call that dirty? What would
you say II you saw my feet?"
A witness in London remarked before a
health commission toward the middle Of
the nineteenth century: THE only two oc-
casions on which most Of the labor1ng
classes In England were washed all over
was only after he was born and after he
had died"
The common bedbug lies under the sus-
picion Of conveying tuberculosis 10 man.
The flea lies under the same suspicion as
70 plague transmission. by injecting the
rat--or maybe the flea gets II from the rat
and passes It on TO man by poisoning his
skin with its tainted carcass, or in some
other bad way.
The mosquito Is. as we know, now
charged with the transmission of yellow
fever to human beings, and perhaps other
diseases. .-.--.,.
This is a very brief and partial review
OF two lectures already printed, and I
shah await the next with lively interest
There is a breezy freshness in the two
already published that Is delightful to
read and appreciate.