The Waterbury Democrat., 1932-01-23
LUCKY FOR US THE UNBROKEN SKIN
 CAN'T ABSORB ANYTHING

One or two medical editors and textbook au-
 thors to the contrary notwithstanding, it is pretty well established among intelligent physi-
 clans that the unbroken skin never absorbs anything. Here and there one still finds some
 self f-styed scientific" medical editor some
 professional textbook writer or some professor
 of therapeutics still believing or protesting to believe that certain medicines or posons are
 sometimes actually absorbed into the blood through the normal skin. One such "authority" still alive often reierates, at least by implca- ton, that there is no question about the ab- sorption of certain medicines when they are applied in a certain way to the normal skln and he usually mentions the traditional admin istration of mercury by inunction to bolster up his position. No one has adduced any scientific experimental evidence to show that mercury is absorbed through the unbroken skin. All in- telgent doctors know that the systemic ab- sorption of the mercury administered In that way Is by inhalation, and the quantity of mer- cury the patient or subject of the treatment or experiment absOrbs depends upon the length of time the mercury salve remains on the skin or on the clothing for of course the mercury is only slowly vOlatilized by the heat Of the body. I contend that the medical editor and the pro-
 lessor of therapeutics who offer mercurial in
 unction as evidence of the direct absorption of something through the skin are not only un-
 scientific but a little dishonest, for they know
 as well I do that all properly controlled ex.
 periments made to prove the permeability of
 the skin have failed to give any satisfactory
 evidence.
 oning by shoe dye, and generally these reports
 imply, if they do not give some authority s
 opinion," that the poisonous ingredient of the shoe dye has been absorbed through the Vic- tin's feet-whch seems obvious. because the
 victim has had the shoes dyed on his rect or
 has worn them immediately after the dye was applied. But if the poisonous ingredient of the
 dye were choroform, instead of benzol or
 other unfamiliar substance, or if 1t were the
 victims shirt instead of his shoes that were CT
 dyed, the entrance of the poison through the skin would not seem so obvious
 It would be simple and fair, would 1t not to
 put such question to the test, on my skih n /.
 fo
 goat for any such experiment any physician or authority or scientific person of standing wish
 es to make If can be made sick or poisoned
 ar caused to absorb anything whatever through my unbroken skin, well, that would leave me
 just where I ought to be if I'm wrong about this important question of health wouldn't It ! Then why do the old timers who so obstinately insist that under some circumstances the skin does absorb something or other. decnne 10 know just as well as do that nothing of con- sequence is or be absorbed by unbroken
 skin. They prefer to go on as they are-and maybe too they have a little stake in some nostrum or near -nostrum that purports to pen citrate the skin. what!
 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Calcium Lactate
 Took calcium lactatc for hay fever as ad' yiscd by you. It not only stopped the hay ic- yer but relieved me of headaches from which I had long suffered. I'd like to take It all the time or frequently n tonic, as 1t seems to be so good for me. Would one pill or tablet day the year round be harmful for me to take? Miss T. P.)
 Answer-No harm in taking it the year
 round if you wish. believe It would pc more efrective to take say 10 grains three times day for a month in each of the Tour seasons as during February, May. August and Novem- Der. You should also have direct sunlight on naked skin, or If no sunlight aVaiiapie' then ultraviolet ray treatment.
 oil Heater Is Okc
 am thinking of putting in an oil heater In | inc house we use the heater to heat three rooms Would there be any danger to oar | health, using such heater! Have peeh to'o u | burns q lot of oxygen. c. H. Al
 | Answer-It is necessary that any heater or | stove that burns fuel on the premises have proper stovepipe or fue connection to carry | nroducts of combustion out of the house. Thus | equipped the oil heater Is no more dangerous than any other kind of stove or heater. It IS 1 not the amount of oxygen consumed but the | amount of carbon monoxide produced by com | bustion. that makes q fire dangerous If there | is faulty ventilation. Probably the more oxygen | consumed the less carbon monoxide produced | It is where the oxygen supply h shut off or not | enough air (draftJ Is admitted Co the fire. that the deadly todoriessl carbon mohoxide gas 's ! likely to be produced.