Show Skin Disorders Usually Curable Need Treatment By fly DR nit JAMES JA W W. BARTON DARTON ECE TIRE IKE many marty other physicians L I have repeated the old story lory about the skin specialist special- special 1st st who jokingly made the statement that he had chosen TODAY'S to o be a skin specialist specialist because H HEALTH EA LT H his patients COLUMN never got him up at night never died and never got well The idea of repeating the story was to show that skin ailments were often oHen difficult to cure and required required required re re- re- re much patience from patient and physician That the repeating of this joke has really done harm is stated by Prof Carroll S. S Wright of Temple university Philadelphia as guest editor In Medical World I have actually on numerous occasions occasions occa occa- had patients Inform me that they understood that skin diseases for the u most part are arc Incurable In In- curable lid aid a physician physician phy phy- onCe told me that he had no Interest int In In- t terest in treating patients pa h with skin akin diseases diseases dis dis- eases when even a Dr Barton Bartoo skin specialist admitted admitted ad ad- milled that they never got well It can be understood then why patients with skin ailments will often neglect to undergo treatment If 11 they believe It to be just a waste of time and money May Be Serious In answer to this old joke Dr Wright states that as a matter maller of fact tact he has been roused from bed by skin patients with severe pain has seen patients die because of skin ailments and fortunately the great majority of skin ailments are entirely curable or can be greatly benefited by persistent medical ef ef- forts The eight most common skin ailments ailments ail all ments In a series of nearly cases In the order they occur appear ap up pear to be eczema acne pimples scabies itch psoriasis white patches of silvery scales seborrhea dandruff hives dermatitis dermatitis der den inflammation due to touching substances of a chemIcal chem chem- ical leal vegetable or animal nature and warts Figures from the private practice of Dr Jay F. F Schamberg and Dr Wright show ringworm to be as common as eczema Dr Wright points out that the above diseases can be helped by treatment although the disease may return because the cause is not and perhaps cannot be entirely removed In order then that patients and physicians will get away from the idea that skin diseases cannot be cured Dr Wright says It Is my belief that the results of treatment In skin diseases are at least equal if 11 not superior to those achieved in itt other specialties Rheumatism Result Of or Many Causes Although rheumatism or arthritis Is as old as man it is only during the last 25 years that a knowledge of its cause the damage it does and how best to treat it has become known Figures prove that everybody everybody every every- body past 50 years of age has arthritis arthritis to a less or greater degree Just Justas as with other ailments rheumatism rheu or arthritis can only attack the Individual if his tissues are Inthe in inthe inthe the necessary condition to develop rheumatism And his tissues are put into this condition by infection of tonsils teeth or other organs which is carried to the joint and Us its surrounding tissues Other causes which put his tissues into condition to develop rheumatism are cold and wet Indoor and out ouO changes in glands overweight and underweight injuries poor posture posture position position sitting sitting sit sit- ting and standing physical defects in spine hips shoulders and pation If one or more of these conditions con is present in addition to the Infection a more rapid and more serious arthritis may follow An adult complaining of pain stiffness and disability in one or more joints which came on without causing much thought on the part of the patient and which progresses slowly may be assumed to be sufferIng suffering suffer suffer- ing with chronic arthritis Remove Infection Source There are the two types atrophic where joint actually loses tissue and the where there is extra tissue tissue bone bone and gristle- gristle formed In and around the joint After removal of the cause cause Infect infected infect infect- ed cd teeth tonsils any tonsils any defects in the patient or his surroundings are corrected corrected cor con such luch as avoiding cold and dampness then the usual treatment treat ment is rest heat passive or active exercise together with a diet con II taming plenty of fruit and vegetables vege tables but cutting down greatly on starch foods foods bread bread potatoes sugar and to some extent also on fat foods Treatment may be necessary for fora a long time after cause has been removed because of the need for better beller circulation to remove wastes from joints and surrounding tissues Copyright Service |