Volume 1
The science and practice of medicine / By William Aitken ... From the 4th London ed., with additions, by Meredith Clymer.
- William Aitken
- Date:
- 1866
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: The science and practice of medicine / By William Aitken ... From the 4th London ed., with additions, by Meredith Clymer. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Lamar Soutter Library, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Lamar Soutter Library at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.
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![but are surrounded by skin provided with an excess of coloring matter. The hairs proceeding from the portion of the skin deprived of pigment are similarly colorless. The disease is not quite so readily transmitted as Tinea tonsurans, but still it is capable of being transmitted from one person to another, so that children so affected should be separated from their companions (Anderson). Treatment.—This consists—(1.) In preventing the spread of the disease circumferentially. All the hairs, therefore, within a quarter of an inch of the circumference of the patch ought to be carefully extracted. The head should be washed daily with soft or black soap. All the downy hairs within the patch must be similarly re- moved till healthy hairs begin to grow; and some of the parasiti- cide lotions or ointments must be industriously used. (2.) Stimu- lants, or even blisters, must be applied to the surface of the bald patch after the fungus has been destroyed. A mixture of equal parts of collodium and of ether cantharidalis (collodium vesicans) is the most useful stimulant. The following lotion may be found advan- tageous to use alternately with the collodium stimulant, namely: R. Liquor. Ammonias, 3iss; 01. Olivse, 5li J 01. Macidis, 3ss; Spir- iti Eosmarini, 3'vj ^Q- Rosa), §ij; misce bene. To be used night and morning applied over the bald patches. LIVER-COLORED SPOTS—Chloasma. [Pityriasis versicolor.] Definition.—A fungus affection of the skin, characterized by one or more broad irregularly shaped patches of a yellow or yelloivish-brown color, occurring most frequently on the front of the neck, breast, ab- domen, and groins, having a predilection for those parts of the body covered by clothing. The patches do not generally rise above the sur- face of the skin ; and there is usually some degree of itching. Pathology—On passing the hand gently over the diseased surface, it may be found to be less smooth than the surrounding skin. It may be seen to be the seat also of a very fine desquamation, or at least of an abnormal condition of the epidermis. Thus far the surface of the affected parts may have a dusty-like appearance, like bran, and so may merit the name of Pityriasis versicolor; but in no other respect has it anything in common with ordinary pityriasis—a disease altogether unconnected with parasitic fungi. The scales which desquamate from chloasma have a yellowish color when con- trasted with the white scales of such scaly diseases as Pityriasis vulgaris or Psoriasis. Hence the term Chloasma—from /<*<><>?, a greenish^ellow color—appears more suitable than any of the other names by which the disease has been described. The disease commences by little spots about the size of a pin-](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b21196606_sciencepracticeo00aitk_0934.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
