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ACNE
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ACNE , a skin eruption produced by inflammation of the sebaceous glands and See also:hair follicles, the essential point in the disease being the plugging of the mouths of the sebaceous follicles by a " comedo," familiarly known as " blackhead." It is now generally acknowledged that the cause of this disease is the organism known as bacillus acnes. It shows itself in the See also:form of red pimples or papules, which may become pustular and be attended with considerable surrounding irritation of the skin. This See also:affection is likewise most See also:common in See also:early adult See also:life, and occurs on the See also:chest and back as well as on the See also:face, where it may, when of much extent, produce considerable disfigurement. It is See also:apt to persist for months or even years, but usually in See also:time disappears entirely, although slight traces may remain in the form of scars or stains upon the skin. Eruptions of this See also:kind are sometimes produced by the continued See also:internal use of certain drugs, such as the iodide or bromide of See also:potassium. In treating this See also:condition the face should first of all be held over steaming See also:water for several minutes, and then thoroughly bathed. The blackheads should next be removed, not with the See also:finger-See also:nail, but with an inexpensive little See also:instrument known as the " comedo expressor." When the more noticeable of the blackheads have been expressed, the face should be firmly rubbed for three or four minutes with a lather made from a See also:special See also:soap composed of See also:sulphur, camphor and See also:balsam of See also:Peru. Any lather remaining on the face at the end of this time should be wiped off with a soft handkerchief. As this treatment might give rise to some irritation of the skin, it should be replaced every See also:fourth See also:night by a See also:simple application of See also:cold cream. Of drugs used internally sulphate of See also:calcium, in pill, s See also:grain three times a See also:day, is a very useful See also:adjunct to the preceding. The patient should take plenty of exercise in the fresh See also:air, a very simple but nourishing See also:diet, and, if See also:present, See also:constipation and See also:anaemia musttbe suitably treated. Rosacea, popularly known as acne rosacea, is a more severe and troublesome disorder, a true dermatitis with no relation to the foregoing, and in most cases secondary to seborrhea of the See also:scalp. It is characterized by See also:great redness of the See also:nose and cheeks, accompanied by pustular enlargements on the See also:surface of the skin, which produce marked disfigurement. Although often seen in persons who live too freely, it is by no means See also:con-fined to such, but may arise in connexion with disturbances of the See also:general See also:health, especially of the See also:function of digestion, and in See also:females with menstrual disorders. It is apt to be exceedingly intractable to treatment, which is here too, as in the pre-ceding form, partly See also:local and partly constitutional. Of internal remedies preparations of See also:iodine and of See also:arsenic are sometimes found of service. Additional information and CommentsThere are no comments yet for this article.
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