The ready reference handbook of diseases of the skin / By George Thomas Jackson, ... With 99 illustrations and 4 plates.

Date:
1906
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: The ready reference handbook of diseases of the skin / By George Thomas Jackson, ... With 99 illustrations and 4 plates. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

    87/678 page 93
    ill the years preceding putieity are the only predisposing causes of haldness. Insufficient or improper care of the scalp ; daily sousing of the hair with water, combined with improper drying of the hair afterward ; sweating of the head, either sjiontaneouslv or on account of the wearing of nnventilated or hot head-coverings; constant mental strain, either on account of intellectual work or of worry ; the wearing of stiff, unyielding hats; gout; all diseases lowering the genei’al nutrition ; and dissijiation, are all put forth by reputable observers as causes of premature bald- ness. That women are less often bald than men probably depends upon several factors : The fatty cushion beneath their scalps is longer preserved than in men ; they give more attention to the care of the hair and less often wet it; and their hats are soft, ventilated, and fit loosely. Treatment. We can do more for this form of bald- ness by pro])hylaxis than by attempts at making the hair that has fallen out grow in again. Prophylaxis should begin at the beginning of life, and should be continuous. This is of special importance in the case of children in families prone to early loss of hair. The hygiene of the scalp is the chief part of the prophy- lactic treatment. Beginning in infancy, the scalp should be gently cleansed of the vernix caseosa and other extra- neous substances that have gathered on it during the proc- ess of parturition. This should be done by the gentle use of soap and water after rubbing in a little sweet almond or other bland oil. No force should be used, and after the scalp is washed it should be jiatted dry with a soft, warm cloth, and a little oil or vaseline smeared over it. After the first washing it should be oiled daily and washed every second day. When the hair begins to grow, a soft brush alone should be used to arrange it, and the daily oiling may be stojjped, unless sebaceous matter accumu- lates in cakes, in which event the oiling should be con- tinued. Sometimes it is well to add a little sulphur to the oil or vaseline, but in most cases it is unnecessary. The slightest indication of disease of the scalp should be jn-omptly and properly dealt with. A child’s hair should
    digitised image 1
    digitised image 2
    digitised image 3