Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-20

To one like myself who doesn't be-
lieye in any more wet washing than Is
absolutely necessary, 1t Is faVorite
subject of speculation whether It's
worse to itch to battle or to bathe TO
itch. I have always been willing to try
anything once, provided it did not seem
dangerous. have had wool itch, cater
pillar itch. scabies, orthoform derma-
tits and Ivy poisoning, in that order,
from first to last and from best to
worst, and more than once in my life
have I been virtually submerged in
bath, and I am still undecided as be-
tween itching and bathing or bathing
and itching.
For more than ten years" writes a
gentleman, II have been afflicted with
an itching sensation after bathing that
is gradually growing worse. Soap seems
to aggravate this condition, although
even when I use no soap the sensation
is most disagreeable. 1t occurs only on
those surfaces of skin that are not
usually exposed to the air. Every ply
stefan have consulted.
Then another reader adds his de-
scription:
II have been annoyed recently with
an itching which to me is very pc
touched parts Of nay body, and con-
tinues for half an hour.
Bath pruritus (pruritus. by the way,
means just itching without apparent
skin rash or other evident cause) is
itching or burning of the skin after
bath. 1t seems to annoy chiefly per-
sons who have dry skin. The tempera-
ture of the water, or the soap used
seem to have little to do with it; it is
water itch mainly. 1t follows the bath,
and lasts from few minutes to an
hour or more I shall never suffer from
bath pruritis, 1 can tell you. But then,
I'm liberal that way.
There Is, to my mind a healthful
hint in what the Louisville correspond
ent says. The trouble affects only skin
that is not exposed to the air and sun.
Well, ladies and gentlemen who battle
to itch, why not try few air baths and
even a few sun baths, all by yourself
in the lamplight? I believe regular
air baths are as sanitary as any wet
wash one can have. BY air bath I
mean simply exposure of the skin to
the air. A sun bath, with proper pre-
caution against Sunburn, is even more
healthful for the skin and the body,
too. But one can take an air bath any
time A cold air bath is ordinarily
preferable. Ben Franklin used to take
one for an hour or so every morning
In his room
Anyhow victims Of bath pruritus
should make the soak very brief, use
some bran in the bath, dry by patting,
not rubbing, and anoint the skin i'm
mediately with a bland oil or with
Bulkleys cream:
hdIlOlul. 'sssss,.ss's'E III hLIlo
Boroglycerid. .,................l dram
Cold cream (made with white
petrolatum) ................o Grams
Questions and Answers.
Horseback Riding.
Please tell me whether riding twice
a week for an hour or two tends to
make one bowlegged-MISS B. r.
Answer-No. 1t has no effect at all.
Riding a bicycle, pushmobile or tricycle.
tends to make bowlegs straighten out.
Worms and the Pup.
Is there any danger of infection with
worms from a puppy? My puppy had
hook worms and sometimes when had
him in my arms he would lick me in
the mouth before knew what he was
doing-S. B. E.
Answer do not know about hook
worms. But dogs and cats commonly
harbor round worms, and the eggs may
be transferred in the animals saliva to
the hands or the mouth of a person,
especially a child, whom the animal
ticks, and in this way the person may
be infested with worms. did not
know that dogs were susceptible to
hookworms.
Bring on the Gas.
Kindly tell me which you consider
better for a nervous person to take
when having teeth extracted-gaS or