Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-05-22
Neglected
Lip Disease
Often Serious
Com m onest Change
Is Fever Blister
BY DIR. LOGAN CLENDENING

BY DIR. LOGAN CLENDENING
WE ALL see our lips every
W day-at least I presume we
all do. have heard that thou
sands OF people in the United
States don't use a toothbrush
daily. but I have yet 10 hear of
a single inhabitant of the North
American continent who doesn't
look into a mirror pretty regu-
larly.
In spite of this, great many
diseased conditions of the lips
ulcers and fissures-are allowed
TO drag on and no attention is
paid to them.
Some times they result in
quite serious conditions.
THE commonest change that
L occurs in the lips is the fever
blister.
So far as know, the world Is
divided into two classes of
people - the ones who want 10
know how 10 cure a fever blister
and the ones who have per-
fectly certain cure.
The only suspicious thing
about the perfectly certain cures
is that no two Of them are alike,
so I have always hesitated to
recommend anything to my
readers.
Since fever blisters pass away
in nearly every instance, the
medical profession doesn't pay
much attention to them.
The only danger is that a
more serious condition will be
shrugged off by saying:
"Oh, It's only . fever blister"
/ say the fever blister almost
always passes away. Very In
frequently there is left chronic
ulcer or a little, hard horn OF
skin at the site of the fever
blister.
These may drag on for years
and should not be allowed TO do
so because they are potential
cancers.
IN FACT, any change in the
i skin OF the lips which is at
all chronic is potentially can
cerous.
There is a condition known as
keratosis that occurs In people
whose occupations expose them
TO the wind and sun.
There is a thickening OF the
skin of the lip. which in itself
does no harm and may last for
years before finally it turns into
q cancer.
There Is nothing to be done
for the keratosis. but when II
begins to break down and form
a weeping ulcer or sore or a
fissure that doesn't heal II
should be removed.
Another condition of the lips
is known as leukoplakia. This
occurs mostly after middle age
and shows up as white, silvery
patch which looks as II II could
be rubbed off. but is extremely
deceptive in this respect.
Like the keratosis, il may so
on for years doing no harm and
then begin to turn into cancer.
OF course, the lip Is one OF the
most frequent sites OF super
fetal cancer.
Besides the cancers that are
secondary to the precancerous
conditions we have described
above. such as indolent ulcer.
horn keratosis and leukoplakia,
a cancer may appear on the lip
spontaneously.
There are two kinds one-in
the form of a wart and one In
the form of an ulcer. They are
more frequent in middle-aged
persons and hardly ever occur
before the age Of go.
IT IS an astonishing thing, in
L view of the campaign against
cancer which stresses the fact
that any lump or liberation oil
the skin should be examined by
a physician and also stresses the
fact that internal examination
should be made regularly after
the age of 40, that cancer OF
the lip should be so frequently
neglected and should show one
of the highest death rates of any
form of cancer.
There. as l said at the begin
ming, we have a part of the body
that we look at every day and
should know what changes are
occurring. and still so many
people neglect and put of these
things until il is too late.
The lesson is that the lips are
particularly subject to serious
degenerative changes and any
thing in the form of lump or
an liberation or break in the
skin should have the benefit OF
medical advice.
QUESTIONS. ANSWERS
s. NJ. BIS 1t possible TO dis
solve a large gall stone?
Answer: II is not possible TO
dissolve either a large or a small
gall stone.