Evening star., 1933-10-15
Driue on Poisonous Cosmetics
! aided by Noted Dern,atologist
DR.. Pabst at Work Here
for Legislation to
Protect Public. AZ
Ingredients ofSomeKinds
of POU d er Cause
Death, He Yarns.

~ R. CHARLES F. PABST. noted
New York dermatologist, has
come to Washington to aid in
the Governments campaign to
rid milady's dressing table OF
certain poisonous cosmetics that have
taken a sad toll among those in quest
Of beauty.
The drive is being waged by the Pure
Food and Drug Administration OF t9e
Department Of Agriculture, with the
hearty support Of President Roosevelt
and Of his departmental ADVISERS. Sec
retary wallace and Assistant Secretary
Tugwen.
Plans have been made to secure from
Congress a revised and expanded food
and drug act which would bring within
the prosecutive jurisdiction Of the ad-
ministration manufacturers OF certain
perfumes, hair dyes, face powders, 10.
ttons and other cosmetics adulterated
with dangerous chemicals. The majority
of such "aids to beauty" are harmless,
it is pointed out, and women snoulo pe
protected against INSCRIPTIONS manu-,
facturers Of poisonous products solo
under ent-looking labels.
II the law Is passed 1t Will emo 10
wear fight Of DR.. Pabst against injurious
substances in some popular cosmetics.
He pointed out there has been no
change In the law for 81 years. Mean
while makeup" has come into almost
universal usage.
Cases of Blindness Cited.
Perfume dermatitis is the name ap-
piled to severe irritation that some es,
sences will cause If constantly applied
to the skin. Sunshine will cause the r-
ritation to be more severe, DR.. Panst
said. I.;....
before using makeup with sucn aDan-
don, if she were as familiar Win many
cosmetics as he. DR.. Pabst stateo.
Analyses and ether examinations nave
revealed that lead, orris root OF pis-
muth contained in some kinds OF race
powder has led to poisoning that ended
in death. There are cases on RECORD
where eyelash makeup which contained
poisonous dyes led to blindness. LIP
sticks. carelessly made, are sometimes
contaminated, causing lip Infection ne
said.
DR.. Pabst emphasized he does not
warn people against all cosmetics. as
there are many harmless ones, but ne
wants a law that will protect the pub
Lie by careful inspection.
Blond. the chief dermatologist OF
the Greenpoint Hospital, Brooklyn,
pointed out. are more susceptible 10
dermatitis than darker people, as theH
skin Is more tender.
Certain types of hair dyes and skin
bleaches especially drew strong words
from the doctor. Freckle removers he
characterized as dangerous. asserting
they destroy the skin to get at the
freckle, which is in the lower layers.
Harmless methods Of removing the tiny
spots are ineffective, and some bleaches
applied to the skin have led to death
because of the poisonous contents 1t
was pointed cut. Speaking OF tan and
bleach, the doctor said: The human
body was never meant to be like that
Of the chameleon"
Discusses Plastic Surgery.
DR.. Pabst said he thought this Gov
eminent should adopt a1aw similar to
that of France, which was passed to
keep some of their African semi-civ-
ilized subjects from mutilating them
selves. He was speaking OF plastic
surgery. The effort to obtain better
looking ncse on wrinkle-less face
through lifting" DR.. Pabst showed,
often are "backfires" Parafin injec-
tions which are commonly used in plas-
tic surgery harden and frequently move
under the skin from the place they
we're interned to improve. he declared.
causing liberation and gangrene OF the
skin In other cases the transfer Of
the paraffin leaves a distorted and hid
ecus appearance.
In the main. DR.. Pabst said, the
harmful ingredients of certain cosmetics