The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1945-02-14
Your Health
Home Treatment
May Give Relief
For Chilblain
BY LoGAN cLrNDENI>G NJ D

BY LOGAN CLuNDENING. N
LAST month | wrote about chill
blain and recommended those who
had il every winter to 90 south.
But this is, for most Of US, impos-
sible and there is some hope IN
home treatment
One Of the difficulties is that
chilblain is seldom recognized for
what it is, by either the victim, his
DR.. Clendening will answer
questions Of general interest
only. and then only through
his column.
family or even his doctor, and so
many names are given to It that
neither ito common or technical
name Is applied TO it very often.
An Example
For instance, in World War I.
and. although I have not heard so
much about it ~ World War II, |
have no doubt 1t will be just as
prevalent after this winter fight
ing, there was a condition known as
trench foot. The foot got red, pain
full and swollen and sometimes the
skin broke and there was extern
siye ooziug.
It came from standing long
time in cold ground often covered
with snow and in cold water and
mud. The soldiers called it trench
foot and the regular medical pro-
fession. trained doctors, mind you,
at least English doctors, took this
up and they called it trench foot.
Well, it was perfectly evident
to the American dermatologists
when they first saw an actual case
that it was chilblains.
Many Names
Then, it is called weeping eczema
and winter eczema and erythema
and half a dozen other things.
The fact, or Characteristic, of
the disease which causes so much
confusion is that once a person
gets it he is likely to have another
attack whenever cold weather
comes on, at the slightest provoca-
ton. This tendency to recurrence
at long intervals, after he has for
gotten the original episode, mixes
him up and he thinks he has a new
disease which he proceeds to deck
out with all kinds Of gaudy names.
The first attack is called frost
bite and when it is all over it is
forgotten and when it recurs a
year or two years later it. looks
like a stranger and gets q new
name.
Causes Of Chilblain
I The causes of chilblain are cold,
wet and wind. 1t usually requires
a combination to establish the first
attack. The areas most often af-
fected are those parts where the
circulation is poor - dead end
parts, like the ears, tip Of the nose.
heel, toes and hngertips, In case it
does not go on to actual freezing
there is swelling, burning, itching
and tenderness.
The fundamental change is a de-
struction of many of the small
blood vessels which are already
too few in those areas. Once this
has happened any even moderate
~ cold or damp weather may bring
on a recurrent attack. So it may
come back winter after winter.
Improve Circulation
Treatment consists in measures
TO improve the circulation as much
as possible. Incidentally the old
treatment Of frost bite by putting
snow on it is utterly illogical. DR..
Stefansson, the Arctic explorer,
says that the best way is gentle
friction by the dry, warm palm of
the hand. The hand IS warmed as
soon as it becomes cold by opening
the shirt and putting it against
the skin Of the breast.
For the chronic recurrent form
of chllblain, a good method Of
treatment is the hot paraffin bath.
Two parts rosin, three parts bees
wax and 80 parts Of paraffin are
warmed in a pan over a fire until
thoroughly mixed. Then the mix
ture ls allowed to soiidify. When
ready for use, some is again
melted, so it IS pretty hot and but
tered all over the affected part at
bedtime, left on all night 1t peels
of without any trouble.
Exposure to the ultraviolet
light is a very valuable method Of
treatment because this keeps the
circulation going for a long time
after the exposure is over. II also
opens up new capillary blood YES
sells. But the length Of exposure
and intervals Of exposure must be
left to the judgment Of a doctor.
!. Edge. after visiting the army 5
Thomas VI. England General Hos.