The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1935-06-29
NUTRTTTON OF THE SKIN

NUTRITION OF TIL SAAN
In medical literature vitanin q
| IL commonly referred TO as anti
dermatitic, that IL, It prevents skin
troubles due to faulty nutrition. II
has acquired this name mainly be-
cause It Is essential to prevent pei
lagra, and In pellagra (this term
literally means rough skin) the
skin assumes the appearance and
condition OF on old sunburn or
chronic eczema.
But other viSamins notably Q
and ID, have been employed In the
treatment Of such common condi-
lions as acne, ana often with APP
parent benefit.
one thing dumb or gullible folk
should get out OF mind at once Is
the notion that you can rub in or
by any means administer vitamins
directly through the skin. Yes, yes,
I wasn't born yesterday and I've
heard about the quaint old custom
OF amounting the feeble baby with
cod liver oil, but I'm telling you
let US not confuse ourselves about
this.
DIR. Helen Mackay said (Archives
Of Diseases Of Childhood, Q, IS,
'34) that the first sign Of A-defl-
cheney in children Is undue suscep-
tibility to skin infections such az
boils, impetigo. pimples, which are
slow in healing. Later the skin be-
comes too dry and gives off q fine
scurf. The hair loses its luster.
In the British Medical Journal,
2,113, '34, q. p. Goodwin described
the case Of q boy ten years old
with A-deflciency. The skin OF the
legs and feet particularly were dry,
and there was q popular eruption
mainly over the legs. With six
weeks of cod-liver oil treatment
Internally this cleared up. A SIM
liar skin condition, which proved
to be due to vitamin A deficiency,
was observed In q number Of pris-
oners by Lowenthal, In Africa. The
main features Lowenthal noted
were dryness, itching, popular
eruption, and in some cases infam-
nation of hair follicles or roots.
The eruption resembled ordinary
acne but the papules or pimples
did not pustulate. BY giving the
prisoners one ounce OF cod liver oil
daily Lowenthai succeeded IN
clearing UP the skin condition, az
well as the xerophthalmia and
night blindness which many Of the
prisoners had.
Total deprivation OF vltamins ia
rare In this country, and the more
dramatic deficiency diseases are ac-
cordingly less likely to occur. But
partial lack OF one or more Vita
Minis Is far more frequent than we
have suspected, and 1t begins to be
apparent now that q great many
mild disturbances Of nutrition and
health, for which some persons
hardly think It worth while to con-
suit a physician at ALL drift along
unrecognized or wrongly diagnosed
and hence improperly treated.
Unfortunately, we have no ac-
curate or precise tests by which we
can determine whether given
person IL suffering from deficiency
OF this or that vitamin, although
we have rough tests for A-defi-
cheney and for C-deflciency. Until
such definite tests are available we
must rely on the clinical test-that
II, IL there IL reason to suspect q
deficiency Of one or more vitamins,
give the patient an optimal ration
OF the vitamins In question and see
whether that helps.
Know Your victuals
Is II true that you claim II makes
no difference what person with
stomach trouble eats, only 80 he
wants the food he eats. Is. M. A.
Answer--No. Send 10 cents In
coin and stamped envelope bearing
your address for booklet "Guide to
Right Eating.
Blcmishes
I have biemishos on my face all
the time, although never eat any