The doctor at home and nurse's guidebook / edited by George Black.

Date:
1909
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: The doctor at home and nurse's guidebook / edited by George Black. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    to i-75th of an Inch, and its breadth about 1-585^ of an inch. But this micro-organism is perfectly harmless and entirely innocent of setting up the disease, as it is not supposed that it has the slightest effect in producing any disorder of the sebaceous glands. Several may be found in a single plug, or again, many plugs may be examined without discovering any of them. Their existence is mentioned only to remove common but erroneous impressions on the subject. Acne is one of the few diseases of the skin peculiar to a particular time of life. It may be said never to occur in young children ; is rarely if ever, seen before twelve or fifteen years of age, and is rare after thirty ; although the rosaceous form may occur much later, even up to fifty years of age. While acne is a disease of the sebaceous glands, it is not regarded solely as such, for it has relations with the rest of the system which it is im- portant to bear in mind. Indis- cretions in diet can bring on fresh spots at almost any time ; the articles which do this most fre- quently and most certainly are rich fried foods. Pastry of all kinds should be largely avoided by those subject to acne, as also nuts, raisins, and cheese, hot bread, cake, preserves, etc. It is not the fat in these things which is bad, for oils are frequently given internally in acne. Butter, also, which is popularly supposed to be so harm- ful, is not so unless it is burned or melted into other substances. One of the most frequent causes of acne in those of older years is the use of fermented liquors, ales, beer, and wine, and it is often quite impossible to remove the eruption while these are persisted in ; and their use again may cause a relapse. Total abstinence from all alcohol is essential in this as in other skin diseases, and the practice of teeto- talism once acquired should never be allowed to lapse. 'Acne has also relations with internal states which often require very careful medical investigation ; for in by far the larger number of cases in those who have the eruption after the age of twenty, derangements of the urine will be found, as shown by chemical and microscopic ex- amination, which indicate disorders of digestion, imperfect liver action, etc. Again, constipation is a very frequent accompaniment of acne and a cause of its obstinacy, and frequently requires medical care, although home measures may bene- fit this, and with it the eruption, to a certain extent. It is not sufficient to use occasional purga- tives, nor to keep the bowels acting with the mineral waters or injec- tions, although these are of more or less service, and may serve to keep the eruption in check. In regard to the actual treatment of acne, the measures suited to differ- ent cases vary so greatly that no brief directions can be given. It is hardly necessary to say that there is no one remedy which will cure the disease ; for, as previously remarked, there is no such thing as an actual disease to be “ driven out of the blood, as so many people imagine. Disease is wrong action, and to remove it we must set the action right. Arsenic will not cure acne, although it may come in as an aid when other causes are removed. In some cases of acne, the eruption has been excited by a particular indiscretion, either in eating or from a check of perspi- ration, or from some cause which has deranged the system. In these cases, therefore, what remains is