Personal hygiene and physical training for women

by Anna M. Galbraith

Liver Spots.—The so-called liver spots are irregular patches of a brownish color, which appear most frequently on the face, neck, chest, back, arms, and hands. If not caused by disorders of the liver and digestion, they are certainly aggravated by them. They are not only unsightly blemishes on the skin, but sometimes cause great nervousness by the intense itching which accompanies them.

Sallow Complexion.—This is generally caused by disorders of the liver, and is most frequently met with in hot countries. It is seen in chronic dyspeptics, and, indeed, in most forms of chronic disease, and is not only a symptom of the disordered bodily state, but a cause of its perpetuation. This appearance of the skin is due to the accumulation of effete matters in it and to its impaired nutrition, and this state exists not only in the skin, but in the whole body.

Pimples, or Blackheads, and Acne.—These are affections of youth, and are generally seen together, the last-named being simply a second stage of the first. Pimples, or blackheads, appear as small elevations in the skin, with a small black point in the center. The cause of the pimple is the alteration in the quality of the sebum, the oily secretion, which becomes and remains a hard mass in the excretory ducts of the sebaceous glands and plugs up its external opening. The dust of the air becomes mixed with the fat, and thus makes a black point. When the ducts cannot get rid of the sebum, they become stopped up, and in consequence become swollen. This irritation spreads to the adjacent tissues, and so inflammation arises. Finally, the contents of the duct undergo degeneration, suppuration occurs, and the contents become mixed with pus, small abscesses result at various depths in the skin, and so require more or less time to break out.

This inflammatory condition of the sebaceous glands with their ducts is apt to become chronic and may prove an obstinate affection. It occurs most commonly about the face, on the back between the shoulders, or on the chest. The skin is rough to the touch, the ducts of the sebaceous glands are enlarged, and the skin is greasy.

Eczema.—This is the most common of all skin affections. It is a non-contagious, inflammatory disease of the skin, sometimes acute, but more often chronic, attended with itching and desquamation or loss of cuticle. With the itching may be a feeling of heat and tension in the part.

Eczema is a local disease, brought about by a local irritation in the skin; but, in addition to this, there is generally a predisposing cause, as some disorders of the digestive tract, a bad condition of the blood, and so forth. The skin, like other organs of the body, depends on the whole system for its nutrition. When this nutrition is not sufficient, the skin appears pale, of a peculiar color, and is easily taken up in folds, an evidence of poor nutrition of the skin. When the skin is not properly nourished, every slight irritation is liable to produce eczema.

Treatment of Liver Spots, Sallow Complexion, Pimples, Acne, and Eczema.—First, the general treatment. While every case of skin disease must be treated according to the peculiarities of that patient’s case, still, there are general rules which should be followed in the treatment of all cases, and first in importance comes attention to the bowels. There must be procured, by some means or other, a free daily evacuation. A hard, constipated movement is not sufficient. Fruits and vegetables are both laxatives and the very best. Water is also a laxative, and 3 pints a day should be taken, not only for the laxative effects, but also because this amount is needed to keep the kidneys properly flushed. Of the simple medicinal laxatives, one of the best is the effervescing granules of the phosphate of soda; the dose is from one teaspoonful to one tablespoonful, to be taken in a glass of cold water on rising in the morning. Sometimes patients who are troubled with gas cannot take anything which effervesces; in that case, the plain phosphate of soda may be substituted.

Next in importance to the attention to the bowels comes the diet. All articles of diet must be easily digested, while at the same time they are nourishing. Cereals, pies, pastry, fried foods, hot breads, rich gravies, rich salads, pork, and veal must be excluded from the bill of fare.

Fresh meat must be eaten by a woman in health at least once a day, and young girls need it twice a day. This should be supplemented with eggs and milk, fresh vegetables, and not an excess of stale bread or toast. The latter is constipating. Tea and coffee should both be avoided.

A glass of hot water, taken one hour before meals, will do much to rid the stomach of mucus and put it in a good condition for the digestion of the food.