Skin

Itching is not a distinct disease by itself, but a symptom or sign of other skin or general disorders. Occasionally it must be treated as if it were a separate disease, as when it occurs about the entrance to the bowel ( anus ), or to the external female sexual parts ( vulva ), or […]

This is a common eruption of adults in hot weather, and very frequently attacks children. It consists of fine, pointed, red rash, or minute blisters, and occurs on parts of the body covered by clothing, more often on the chest. The eruption is caused by much sweating, leading to congestion and swelling of the sweat […]

Freckles appear as small, yellowish brown spots on the face, arms, and hands, following exposure to the sun in summer, and generally fading away almost completely in winter. However, sometimes they do not disappear in winter, and do occur on parts of the body covered by clothing. Freckles are commonly seen in red haired persons, […]

This skin disease is caused by a vegetable fungus and not by a worm as the name suggests. The disease on the body and scalp is caused by the same parasite, but ringworm of the body may attack adults as well as children, and is readily cured; ringworm of the scalp is a disease confined […]

Eczema is really a catarrhal inflammation of the skin, with the exudate (fluid that escapes) concealed beneath the surface, or appearing on the surface after irritation has occurred. The many varieties are best classified as follows: (1) Eczema of internal origin, including cases due to morbid agencies produced within the body, cases due to drugs, […]

The poison ivy ( Rhus toxicodendron ), poison sumach ( Rhus venenata ), and poison oak ( Rhus diversiloba of the Pacific Coast, U. S. A.) cause inflammation of the skin in certain persons who touch either one of these plants, or in some cases even if approaching within a short distance of them. The […]

Warts are flattened or rounded outgrowths from the outer and middle layers of the skin, varying in size from a pin head to half an inch in diameter. There are several varieties. Seed Warts. These have numerous, little, fleshy projections over their surface, which are enlarged normal structures ( papillæ ) of the middle layer […]

A boil is a circumscribed inflammatory process, caused by the entrance of pus producing germs into the skin either through the pores (the mouths of the sweat glands) or along the shafts of the hair, and in this way invading the glands which secrete a greasy material (sebaceous glands). In either case the pus germs […]

Corns are local, cone shaped thickenings of the outer layer of the skin of the feet, due to pressure and friction of the shoes, or opposed surfaces of skin between the toes. They are not in themselves sensitive, but pain follows pressure upon them, as they act as foreign bodies in bearing down upon the […]

Chafing occurs when two opposing skin surfaces rub together and are irritated by sweat, as in the armpits, under the breasts and beneath overlapping parts of the belly of fat people, and between the thighs and buttocks. The same result is caused by the irritation induced by discharges constantly running over the skin, as that […]

A carbuncle is similar to a boil in its causation and structure, but is usually a much more serious matter having a tendency to spread laterally and involve the deeper layers of the skin. It is commonly a disease of old persons, those prematurely old or debilitated, and occurs most frequently on the neck, back, […]

Callus consists of round or irregular, flattened, yellowish thickenings of the upper or horny layer of the skin. The skin becomes hypertrophied and resembles a thick, horny layer, caused by intermittent pressure of tools, shoes, etc. The whole palm of the hand or soles of the feet may be the seats of a continuous callus. […]

Baldness is commonly caused by seborrhea of the scalp, an affection probably due to a microbe, and consisting of an inflammation of the skin, with great increase of dandruff of a thick, greasy variety. Sometimes it appears as a thick film, not only covering the scalp, but also the forehead and back of the neck. […]

Hives is characterized by the sudden appearance of hard round or oval lumps in the skin, from the size of a pea to that of a silver dollar, of a pinkish white color, or white in the center and often surrounded by a red blush. The rash is accompanied by much itching, burning, or tingling, […]

This eruption is situated chiefly on the face, but often on the back, shoulders, and chest as well. It is a disorder which is seen mostly in young men and women at about the age of puberty. It consists of conical elevations of the skin, from a pin head to a pea in size, often […]

Cold sores occur usually about the lips or at the angles of the mouth, although they may appear anywhere on the face. Cold sore has a round, oval, or irregular outline, from the size of a pea to that of a quarter of a dollar, and is seen as a slightly raised patch on the […]