The lady's mirror : a guide to beauty with numerous prescriptions for the skin, teeth, and complexion etc / by Wm. G. Sutherland.

  • Sutherland, Wm. G. (William George)
Date:
[between 1900 and 1909?]
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: The lady's mirror : a guide to beauty with numerous prescriptions for the skin, teeth, and complexion etc / by Wm. G. Sutherland. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    CHAPTER VII. MOTHER’S MARKS, MOLES, PORT WINE STAINS. A birth mark or nasvus is a congenital, permanent discolouration of the skin, sometimes elevated above its surface, sometimes not. It was formerly thought that it was the result of fright or unnatural longings on the part of the mother, whence the common name of mother’s mark. They may be roughly divided into two kinds : (1) the Two kinds, pigmentary naavi or moles; and (2) the vascular nasvi or port wine marks which contain dilated bloodvessels. Pigmentary navi or moles may be hairy or hairless (in Moles. which case they are popularly called “toad-marks”). They occur as small, rounded, tawny yellow or dark brown s* ains, sometimes on the same level with the skin, sometimes elevated above its surface and surmounted by a tuft of coarse hair, in which case they are often called “ mouse-marks.” Their peculiar colour is duo to excessive pigment deposited in the cuticle. Vascular navi take the form of stains sometimes level Port wine with the skin, sometimes projecting beyond it. Port wine stains. marks occur usually as purplish stains, but the colour, shape and size may differ considerably. One variety called the “ spider’s-mark ” is found on the cheeks in numbers. “ Spider’s- It appears as small red dots from which radiating lines mark. branch out. From this small variety all sizes up to the extensive ones covering the whole of one side of the face may be met with. Both varieties are congenital ; they shew no tendency to disappear and remain for the whole of life. Pressure of the finger on a port wine stain will cause the colour to go almost entirely; they are quite superficial. Caustics, excision, ligature, etc., are all used for the Treatment, purpose of their removal, but electrolysis remains the best general plan. Flat, sharp pointed needles attached to a battery are introduced through the base of the mole. After a time they are withdrawn and reintroduced in another place. In the case of hairy moles the coarse hair should be removed by electrolysis ; ofton this may be all that is required. The mole assumes a whitened pearl-like appear- ance, and after a time forms a brownish scab which drops off in a few days. Port wine stains require to be attacked at successive sittings; the operator must be content to do a little at a time so as to avoid the chance of extensive scarring. Quite receutl}r theuppli cation of radium has been used with much success.
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