The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1944-10-17

OUTS tlollS ol BeuSIdl lHbcIeSk
only, and then only through
his column.
best Of health. In any large skin
clinic about five per cent of the
patients will be suffering from
psoriasis.
Although many people think
psoriasis is contagious it is not.
There is no danger from coming
into contact with people with
psoriasis. AS far as anybody
knows it is hereditary or at least
tends 10 occur in families. What
Oliver Wendell Holmes said is ap-
plicable here: 1--WE are all omni-
buses in which our ancestors ride:
every now and then one of them
sticks his head out and embar-
raises US.
Not that there need be anything
embarrassing about psoriasis, al
though many of its victims seem
TO think there is. 1t is unquestion-
ably an unsightly eruption. The
sore of psoriasis is usually round
or oval, varying from the size of
pea to the size of a coin, even to
large patches covering extensive
areas Of the body. Some of them
are ringlike enclosing areas of
normal appearing skin. They
never form blisters and heal with
out soaring. Nor does it itch in
most instances, nor cause any con-
stitutional disturbance. 1t dis
turbs the victims peace of mind
because it is so mysterious and
unsightly.
No Permanent Cure
In location it often grow.
around the nail bed and often
causes brittle, scaling nails. Ere:
quently in this location it is mis-
taken for ringworm, even by doc
tors.
Everyone who has it wants to
know the cure. My mail always
contains three or four letters a
day from people who think | must
be in on a secret that their own
doctor doesn't know. 1t is very
flattering, but do not know any
secret. The writer's of these let
tiers seem to think there must be a
method Of curing their affection.
1t goes away leaving perfectly
healthy skin where before there
was an eruption. 1t usually goes
away in the summer, and the vic
tim the first time or two thinks
he is rid of it forever, but the next
winter there it is sitting on the
door step Of the victims peace Of
mind.
While permanent cure is un.
realizable, ideal proper manage
ment can make the patient much
more comfortable. 1t appears in
an acute and a chronic form. In
the chronic form bathing and re.
moval of the scales with a soft,
bristled brush is indicated. Ap-
plications Of medicine to the af-
fected skin areas are usually OF
an irritating kind and may have
to be rubbed in very vigorously.
Sunlight Helpful
Natural sunlight is a good form
Of treatment. So is salt water
bathing, so the person at the sea.
side has all the advantages. A
complete suntan is curative in the
limited sense that it may drive the
disease away for several years.
A diet rich in vegetables and
low in proteins and fats is bene-
fetal in some cases. Large doses
of vitamins, more than that which
would under any ordinary circum-
stances be in the diet have also
proved valuable in many in
stances. Especially used are vi
tamins A, C and d. large doses
of Vitamin 3 or thiamine chloride
in combination with low fat diet
have helped in preventing recur-
-ences.
All this seems very logical be-
cause when ore sees a case Of
psoriasis one instiactively thinks
that it must be Of nutritional ORR
gin-perhaps from the endocrine
or ductless glands.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
r. S.: i Is there a permanent
cure for ruptured intervertebral
disk causing sciatica?
Answer: In the course Of time
the condition usually adjusts it.
self.