The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1935-02-21

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environment as one organic whole ana
are studying some OF our diseases from
this standpoint We have almost ex-
hausted the field Of bacteriology' try
ing to find germs as the cause OF dis
ease, Recent work tends to show that
the skin Is an important factor In
rheumatism.
The skin Is not just covering man.
tie Or protective cloak OF the body. II
is a vast organ concerned With the |
sense OF feel and touch. It secretes
sweat and oily substances. 1t also
excretes certain things from the body
We are finding that the protective
action of the skin can be extended to
guarding us against invasion by germs
around us. The action OF sunlight and
ultraviolet light on the SKIN IS well
known to the layman.
We know that the skin can be
changed by the temperature Of the air.
by the humidity of the air. and also
by changes In barometrlc pressure.
The skin can be thought OF as big
receptor organ that receives from the
outside world messages OF all kinds
and transmits these to tile Internal
organs, through blood and nerve chan
nes
The capillary blood channels In the
skin are thought by many authorities
to he involved In rheumatism. Il must
not be forgotten TINT mans skin Is an
important organ In maintaining body
Temperature. 1t can eliminate heat
in the summer time, which Is really
refrigeration function. During the
: winter our skin acts AS a covering
layer to prevent the loss of heat. In
the summer there is an increased flow
OF blood through the skin. and In the
winter there Is a decreased flow.
The patient suffering from rheu-
matlsm does not have a proper con-
troll of the blood supply Of the skin
and the secretion of sweat. There Is
Il tendency toward spasm0dc contrac-
ton of the caplllarles and nj times
these caplllarles become engorged With
blood In other words, there Is an
instability In the blood vessels, con-
trolling system.
We just mentioned that the skin Is
an important organ In controlling body
temperature. The rheumatic indivId-
ual undergoes wide fluctuations In skin
temperature. There Is oftentimes
snbnormal temperature of the skin.
This influences the metahnlsm Of the
body In that we lose the heat-regula-
tory function of the skin that Is so
important for our well-helng When
the temperature Of the cells within the
body changes there Is a change In the
chemical products of these cells. and
many authorities now think that this
explains In part the development OF
pain In the muscles and joints:
This Is new conception of rheu
matism and helps explain some phases
III the disease better than the older
meteorological theory that was diff
cult to sllhstnntinte In many instances.
The abnormal sensitlyeness to changes
in weather TINT are experienced by all
rheumatlcs Ia due to the fact that
these people do not have the proper
skin function. The circulation Of the
skin Is changed as result Of the nj
terations In temperature, humidity and
harometrlc pressure In such a. manner
that Internal disturbances take place
leading to the development OF pain In
certain AREAS of the body.
1t Ia well known that rheumatic
pains can develop as a result Of hot
temperature environments as we'll NJ
cold. Over exertIon and fatigue fol
lowed by chilling Of the body are alsf
common factors. Much has been sait
at cold damp air causing rheumatism
So long as the skin function Is normal
muscle or Joint pains will not develop
because OF exposure to dnmn ant
chilly conditions. Damp cold nj
- causes the body to lose hent rapid.
n the blood vessels of the skin do no
react promptly. by diminishing tn
blood supply to the skin. Hence tn
body does not become cooler hecaus
we produce the same amount OF hea
and we lose much less heat. When tn
skin function Is abnormal this doe
not occur and consequently the rhev
matte develops palms.
The proper treatment for rheumatisr
is to aid the skin by artificial means t
49, rr-establish a good circulatory system
This is the reason that a hot waite
bottle placed on the skin close to tn
area of pain will often stop the discon
fort The proper treatment is an o.
Eanized medical plan Of various typ,
Of physical therapy. such as light trea
ment. heat treatments, massage. bath
all OF which aid the skin to re-establis
rs proper circulation
We all live under the same wealth,
conditions. NIe to a lack of contr
OF his skin. the rheumatic cannot n
just himself. The rest Of us adm
ourselves perfectly and are In no WI
iaeanafitated by such weather change
The rhenmallc speaks very truly VIII
he says he can feel weather change
Nv IfnIo