A Short Handbook of Cosmetics
by Dr. Max Joseph
—Berlin—
New York
E. B. Treat & Co.
241-243 W. 23d Street
1910
Contents
Cosmetics of the Hair
The art of beautifying mankind, as old as it is full of error, as keenly sought after by young and old as it is practised by false prophets and avaricious men of the commercial world, has long been identified with the mystery of how to renew one's youth. It seeks refuge among the various dressing-cases, the costly bottles and powder-boxes which adorn the elaborate toilet-tables of the gentler sex. But, as in case of all departments of modern social life, so also here has science penetrated into the very heart of things, and all that cannot hold its own against the rigors of chemical investigation, or has not for its object some hygienic improvement, becoes trown aside as useless. Over this province, too, Dame Fashion, with her ever-varying whims, reigns supreme. Still, what Medicine has reserved for herself is the care of bodily ealth and proper development of man's frame, and though her methods at times have become the target of severe criticism, yet in the long run she has been successful in convincing most people that health, and health alone, must form the basis of cosmetics. No longer has cosmetics for its aim and object such follies as the renewal of youth; it has become a definite branch of medical research, and has sown that the preservation of beauty is an obligation and a sacred duty which we owe to our bodies.
The interest in cosmetics need not be confined to that exclusive circle of society who are swayed by vanity, and desire to appear more than they really are. On the contrary, as civilization advances, the question of cosetics will come more and more to the front in all grades of society. But, alas! its spoilers lurk in a thousand ambushes. In no other domain do quacks follow their trade so shamelessly, making the embellishment of the body a sinful vanity, and therefore contrary to all lofty ideals.
Cosmetics is not a special science: it is merely a department of dermatology. Therefore the medical man will obtain good results in the art of cosmetics only if he has familiarized himself with the elements of dermatology. On this account we will not repeat what has been already set forth in the various works on dermatology. A description of the structure of the skin, of the construction of sweat and sebaceous glands, as well as of the physiology of the skin, is not the object of the following pages. Nor do we wish to work along the lines of a textbook of skin diseases. In a treatise of that nature we should endeavor to make clear the diagnosis and treatment of each disorder of the skin; but we will ere take up each separate edicament, and note for wich affections it is to be used.
It is a generally accepted fact that the possession of a sound skin is a sign of good bodily health. On this hangs the important postulate that the whole man must be dealth with if we are to bring the skin into a cosmetically sound state. Its relationship with the other parts of the body must always be remembered in judging of the condition of the skin.
A healthy skin with a beautiful texture is characterized by its color, its gloss, and its smooth surface. The color must be pure, delicate, and fresh; the gloss transparent and lifelike; the surface white, elastic, and velvety.
We find remarkable and noteworthy relationships between the skin and internal organs in certain diseases, and commonly witness the harmful influence of a malady upon the appearance and functions of the skin. The fresh, clean color of health can only be restored by rational treatment, and the physician must investigate every system carefully, so as to arrive at the best possible means of carrying this out. In no other way may the cosmetic art be successfully practiced. Thoug certain drugs—such as iron, arsenic, etc.—are valuable aids to treatment, I regard a regulation of the diet as of prime importance. For persons too heavy we must exclude all fat-forming substances, whilst in case of those who are poorly nourished we must attain our object of increasing the weight by a liberal nourishing diet. Should there be any tendency to seborrhea and the various forms of acne, the functions of the bowels will require correction. Skin disorders very often owe their origin, not so much to an increased or diminished frequency of movement of the bowels as to the process of auto-intoxication. Putrefaction of proteid is an accompaniment of normal digestion, but should it become excessive indican will appear in the urine, and an unhealty condition of the skin arise. For this reason I employ, often with remarkable results, some intestinal antiseptic, such as menthol in the following form:
Rx Menthol, 1 and 1/2 grains
Sweet almond oil, 4 drops
Sig.: One gelatin capsule three times a day after food.
Besides this, I tell the patient to use only what has been cooked or baked, and forbid all raw food. He may, however, take as much fat as e can assiilate. Formerly it was thougt that by trhe use of rich fatty foods the production of sebum was increased and the skin texture spoilt, but this is not the case. Rosenfeld (Centralblatt f. inn Medizin, 1906, 40) has made some interesting experiments in this connection. He put one of his students on a diet conposed of meat, 250; cocoa, 20; eggs, 94; fat, 70; biscuit, 100; and sugar, 332. Then the sugar was stopped, and 180 butter was given in its place. With both diets the body was well nourished, and their effect on sebum excretion was as follows: During the five days of the first diet, 11.56 grammes of sebum was excreted; that is, 2.31 grammes daily; whilst in the nine days of the fatty diet, 8.59 grammes, or about 0.94 grammes a day was the amount. thus the excretion of sebum during the first period was three times as great as that during the second. Next to the question of diet, exercise in the fresh air is of considerable benefit to the skin. I often recommend breathing exercise, several hours' walking every day. Regular open-air exercise causes the blood to be driven more equally to all parts of the body. Skating, swimming, riding, and gymnastics are valuable, and the longer the stay in the fresh air the better.
This brings us to consider one of the most important cosmetic agents...
Water
Washing with water is the best means of preparing the skin against the daily assaults of the weather. Such ablution may best be undertaken in a room of equable temperature just before going to bed at night, special care being devoted to the face and exposed parts of the skin. In case of a sensitive skin, the water must be free from chalk and magnesia salts, and be a so-called "soft" water. Should the source of supply be a spring or be highly situated, one may free the water from chalk by prolonged boiling, or by the addition of some soda. As a rule, borax may be used with advantage—not only on account of its soothing action, but beacuse it may be extensively used for the most delicate skin. It is soluble 1 in 15 of cold water. In cases of diffuse redness or vascular formation in the skin, some camphor should be added to the borax solution. Most of the cosmetic substances recommended as additions to the washing water are little else than a perfumed mixture of borax and camphor. For example:
Cook's Balsam of Life:
Rx Borax, 5 drams
Camphor, 20 grains
Distilled water, 7 ounces
Lucien Water, recommended on account of its reputation in bestowing beauty and delicacy to the skin and face:
Rx Borax, 8 grains
Glycerin, 1 dram
Distilled water, 3 ounces
Oil of orange peel,* 10 drops
*Oil of orange peel is prepared by distillation of the rind of Citrus aurentium (sweet orange) with water.
Eau de Naples:
Rx Borax, 180 grains
Rose water, 1 and 1/2 ounces
Camphor, 15 grains
Tincture of benzoin, 60 grains
Distilled water, 3 and 1/2 ounces
The method of using these waters is to add one or more teaspoonfuls to the ordinary water for washing. For cosmetic purposes it is also advisable for many skins to use a wash in the evening. For instance:
Schonheitsmilch:
Rx Borax, 30 grains
Cow's milk, 3 and 1/2 ounces
Oil of rose, 2 drops
Orientalische Schonheitsmilch:
Rx Borax, 8 grains
Prepared talc, 190 grains
Glycerin, 3 drams
Eau de Cologne, 3 and 1/2 drams
Tincture of musk, 6 drops
Distilled water, 4 ounces
When, however, it appears advisable, on account of dilated vessels on the face and hands, to resort to the use of strong astringents, we make use of toilet vinegars. They ave a refreshing smell, and when a dessert- or teaspoonful is mixed with the washing water, draw the skin strongly together. They are especially useful for blondes with lax, tender skins. A perfect toilet vinegar is, above all, a pure vinegar, free from acetone and other impurities, perfumed with orange juice or rosewater. We give as examples:
Lady's Maid's Vinegar:
Rx Acetic acid conc., 7 ounces
Tincture of benzoin, 3 and 1/2 ounces
Aromatic Toilet Vinegar:
Rx Camphor, 180 grains
Oil of lavender, 2 drams
Oil of clove, 1 dram
Oil of rosemary,* 1 dram
Acetic acid conc., 8 ounces
*In the preparation of this oil the leaves and juice of Rosmarinus officinalis are distilled with water.
Cologne Vinegar, useful for brunettes:
Eau de Cologne, 8 ounces
Acetic acid conc., 2 drams
Aromatic English Vinegar:
Oil of cinnamon,* 15 drops
Oil of clove, 40 drops
Oil of lavender, 30 drops
Oil of lemon,** 30 drops
Acetic acid conc., 1 ounce
Alcohol [Spiritus vini], 34 drops
*The best oil of cinnamon is the Ceylon variety.
**This oil of lemon is obtained from lemon rinds by expression and filtration of the product.
Baths
Baths naturally constitute an excellent cosmetic remedy. Cold baths may be taken daily in summer, whereas lukewarm baths, on account of their relaxing effect on the skin, should be employed only once or twice a week. It is advisable, before leaving such a bath, to wash over with cold water or use a cold douche. Cold baths harden the skin against chills, whilst warm baths make it sensitive to sudden changes of temperature.
Sometimes we can produce a favorable effect upon the general health by the addition to the bath of certain aromatic substances. Such aromatic baths are recommended, not only for a sensitive skin, but for slight cases of pruritus, urticaria, lichen ruber planus, and seborrheic eczema. The simplest of these baths is made by the addition of:
Rx Oleo Balsamic Mixture, 2 to 4 ounces
[Editor's Note: One recipe for oleo balsamic mixture is: oils of cedrat (citron peel), cinnamon, cloves, lavender, mace, and marjoram, of each 20 drops; oil of rue, 10 drops; balsam of Peru, 1/2 dram; rectified spirit, 10 oz.; digest and filter.]
In other cases we use vegetable baths. One kilo of chamomile, elder, peppermint, sage, thyme, etc., is bound up in a linen bag, scalded with about 2 to 4 litres of boiling water, pressed, and added to the bath. In a similar way one may prepare a pine needle bath, by adding different kinds of extract of pine or fir needles. The patient must spend a quarter to half an hour in the bath, at a temperature of 27.5 to 35 degrees Celsius. For the sensitive skin, which becomes chafed easily, bran baths are serviceable. One adds to the bath about 500 grains of bran, which has been cooked for half an hour. Oakbark baths have a similar use: 1 kilo of oakbark in 4 liters of water being boiled down to 3 liters, and added to the bath water.
Carbonic acid baths possess quite a special significance. Owing to the spread of industry, we can now use them more than formerly. We may obtain carbolic acid from the factory, and easily prepare a carbonic acid pine needle bath, a sweet-flag bath, a steel bath, or a sulphur bath. Of indications for their use, the chief is a nervous irritability of the skin.
Soap
An important part in cosmetics is played by soap. Toilet soap is the best means of removing superfluous fat from the skin, and, being used in large quantities, it is regarded, even by those who sneer at cosmetics, as the first step towards civilization.
Soaps are chemical combinations of any fatty acid with an alkali, and in their action upon the epidermis resemble the alkaline carbonates, softening and loosening the stratum corneum. Their action is chemical as well as mechanical. Water splits soap into an insoluble acid portion and a soluble basic portion. The soluble part of the soap unites with the ingredients of the skin secretions, whilst the insoluble part mingles with the particles of epidermis and dirt to form foam. In order to prevent any corrosive action by the alkali during this process, one must employ for cleansing the skin perfectly neutral soaps, which contain no free alkali. Auspitz has formulated the following postulates regarding toilet soaps: A good soap should be neutral, as those which contain free alkali have a corrosive action, and should form a lather on the addition of so much water. It should, moreover, have a wholesome scent or be unscented, and should possess a pleasing and uniform color. The soap, finally, should cleanse and soften the skin, and contain as little deleterious dye and perfume as possible.
The nearest approach to this ideal neutral soap would be reached by introducing into its composition an excess of fat. This procedure, however, is impracticable, as such fat in a free state would become quickly rancid, and have an irritating effect upon the skin. Liebrreich has demonstrated a method by which a perfect neutral soap may be manufactured. He suggested that certain vegetable products which are rich in fat, such as coconut, palm fruit, etc., should be added to the soap while in the boilers. Salts and impurities are then removed from the mother-liquor by the use of the centrifuge, and a chemically pure soap obtained. By this means one excludes all possibility of adulteration, and on that account I can confidently recommend Heine's Centrifugierte Kindersiefe as an excellent cosmetic. In the same factory (G. Heine, of Copenick) are prepared a 5 per cent. borax soap, as well as centrifuged violet, green, or heliotrope soaps, and similar preparations characterized by their purity and soothing effect, as well as the production of a creamy pleasant lather during use.
The raw materials utilized in the manufacture of soap are fats—e.g., lard, tallow, olive and castor oils, palm oil, and coconut oil—together with caustic potash solution for soft soap, and caustic soda solution for hard soap. A combination of coconut oil and soda constitutes the basis of many cosmetic soaps. The greater number of these are supplied by the perfumer under foreign names, which do not in every case correctly indicate the nature of the ingredients. The following are a few recipes for the said soaps:
Rose Soap:
Rx Soap made with olive oil, 4 ounces
Soap, 3 drams
Melt and color with cinnabar, 8 grains; add:
Oil of rose, 20 drops
Oil of clove, 6 drops
Oil of cinnamon, 6 drops
Oil of bergamot, 17 drops
Almond Soap:
Rx Pure white soap, 6 ounces
Almond oil, 85 drops
Almond Soap:
Rx Pure white soap, 5 and 1/2 ounces
Soap made with olive oil, 1 and 1/2 ounces
Melt and let cool off a little bit, then add:
Oil of bitter almond, 40 drops
Oil of clove, 10 drops
Oil of caraway, 17 drops
Savon au Bouquet:
Rx Pure soap, 8 ounces
Oil of bergamot, 1 ounce
Oil of orange flowers, 15 drops
Oil of clove, 16 drops
Oil of thyme,* 16 drops
*The oil of thyme is manufactured from wild thyme by distilling the fresh herb with water.
Orange Soap:
Rx Pure soap, 4 ounces
Soap with palm oil, 3 and 1/2 ounces
Oil of orange, 1 dram
Essence of ambergris,* 1 dram
*Ambergris of commerce, from which this essence is derived, is a product of the cachalot whale. It is a fatty substance like wax, and has a peculiar aromatic odor, reminding one of musk and benzoin.
Camphor Soap:
Rx Pure white soap, 10 ounces
Oil of rosemary, 1/2 ounce
Camphor, 1/2 ounce
Beard Soap:
Rx Powdered (Venetian) soap, 3 ounces
Spring water, 1 ounce
Starch, 1/2 ounce
Oil of bergamot, 20 drops
Shaving Soap:
Rx Powdered (Venetian) soap, 3 ounces
Powdered orris root, 1 dram
Mix and add:
Oil of clove, 2 drops
Oil of orange flowers, 2 drops
Oil of cinnamon, 2 drops
Tincture of musk,* 1 drop
*The musk deer produces this substance, which is found only in young males in a sac on the abdomen. In its crude form it is a soft dark brown mass.
Aromatic Soap Spirit:
Rx Concentrated powdered (Venetian) soap, 5 ounces
Alcohol [rectified grape spirit], 8 ounces
Dissolve in bath.
Spirit of marjoram, 2 ounces
Orange flower water, 5 ounces
Filter and add:
Oil of bergamot, 40 drops
Oil of lime, 40 drops
Soaps are also employed in cosmetics in the form of soap balls, soap emulsions, and soap powders, as for example:
Soap Balls:
Rx Pure white soap, 4 ounces
Powdered orris root, 1 ounce
Oil of bergamot, 18 drops
Oil of lavender, 18 drops
With a sufficient quantity of rose water, form soap balls.
Rose-Soap Cream:
Rx Spermaceti,* 150 grains
White wax, 150 grains
Melt, and mix with:
Almond oil (sweet), 1 and 1/2 ounces
Rose water, 1 and 1/2 ounces
Oil of rose, 8 drops
*Spermaceti is solid fat derived from the skulls of certain whales.
Scented Soap Powder:
Rx White soap, dry and powdered, 4 ounces
Add:
White sugar, 170 grains
Powdered orris root, 1 ounce
Almond flour or meal, 2 ounces
Oil of lime, 17 drops
Oil of orange peel, 16 drops
Oil of lavender, 17 drops
Mix, and make into a powder.
Aromatic Soap Powder:
Rx Venetian soap, dry and powdered, 2 ounces
Powdered sodium carbonate, 60 grains
White flour, 1 ounce
Oil of lime, 4 drops
Oil of bergamot, 4 drops
Oil of neroli,* 3 drops
*Oil of neroli is obtained by distilling the juice of Citrus aurantium with water.
Almond bran has been much vaunted. One should wash with water to which a small quantity of it has been added:
Rx Almond flour or meal, 8 ounces
Powdered orris root, 1/2 ounce
Powdered potassium carbonate, 30 grains
Oil of bergamot, 16 drops
Or,
Rx Almonds, dry and diced, 8 ounces
Blend into paste with:
Orris root, 90 grains
Wheat flour, 8 ounces
Oil of bergamot, 10 drops
Oil of lemon, 2 drams
Almond pastes are also used largely for application to the skin of the hands and face:
Rx Sweet almonds, shelled and diced, 2 ounces
Bitter almonds, shelled and diced, 6 ounces
Grind with orange water and mix with:
Wheat starch, 2 ounces
Musk, 1/5 grain
Oil of rose, 3 drops
Or,
Rx Sweet almonds, shelled, 8 ounces
Bitter almonds, shelled, 1/2 ounce
Grind with a little bit of water, and add:
Powdered gum storax, 60 grains
A small quantity of pure honey.
They should be applied in the evening, and, on the following morning, either removed in the dry state or washed off with water.
Fats
Of still greater significance in the cosmetic art are the fats. They give the skin its gloss, penetrating and clarifying the superficial layer of the epidermis, and making a dry, rough skin soft and pliant. By constituting a waterproof covering, the fats lessen evaporation from the skin, and guard it from external injury. Furthermore, they dissolve sebaceous material and the fatty acids of the sweat, forming by their saponifying action an excellent vehicle for the suspension of dirt, so that inunction with oil or fat becomes the same thing as washing—a method of freshening the complexion known even to the ancient Romans and Greeks.
The use of fat, however, ought not to be too lavish. Various forms may be employed: animal fats (lard, fat of sheep and oxen, marrow fat, lanolin), vegetable fats (almond, olive, sesame, and hazelnut oils, and the more solid palm oil, cocoa butter and wax), mineral fats (paraffin, vaseline), and the fat-containing seeds (almond, coconut, pistachio nut, cucumber seeds). The substances employed are simply mixed with one another and perfumed.
Cold cream is a favorite preparation, for example:
Rx White wax, 80 grains
Spermaceti, 120 grains
Almond oil (sweet), 1 ounce
Rose water, 40 drops
Pure glycerin, 40 drops
Oil of rose, 2 drops
The following is of a simpler composition:
Rx Coconut oil, 1 and 1/2 ounces
Rose water, 80 drops
Oil of rose, 1 drop
Instead of these one may use:
Rx Lanolin, 2 and 1/2 ounces
Cocoa butter, 7 drams
Vanillin, 8 drops
Rose and violet creams serve a similar purpose:
Rose Cream:
Rx White wax, 90 grains
Spermaceti, 90 grains
Almond oil, 2 ounces
Rose water, 1 and 1/2 ounces
Oil of rose, 4 drops
Violet Cream:
Rx White wax, 90 grains
Spermaceti, 90 grains
Almond oil, 1 ounce
Rose water, 1 and 1/2 ounces
Oil of violet, 68 drops
The creams are best used at bedtime. The skin is first washed and dried, and then a small quantity is rubbed in with a fine towel.
We may mention the following inexpensive creams for use in the same way:
Creme Crystallisée:
Rx Castor oil, 1 and 1/2 ounces
Spermaceti, 2 drams
Almond oil, 4 drams
Perfumed oil, 68 drops
Creme Celeste:
Rx White wax, 90 grains
Spermaceti, 180 grains
Almond oil, 1 and 1/2 ounces
"Cream 36" (to prevent dryness of the skin):
Rx Cocoa butter, 1 and 1/2 ounces
Spermaceti, 6 drams
Almond oil, 3 ounces
Oil of thyme, 34 drops
Oil of clove, 15 drops
Oil of bergamot, 17 drops
"Cream 37" (to prevent dryness of the skin):
Rx Spermaceti, 4 drams
White wax, 2 drams
Almond oil (sweet), 1 ounce
Melt under low heat, and then mix with:
Oil of bergamot, 34 drops
It is of importance that the doctor should be able to prescribe a lip salve, which he may order in cases of cracked dry lips—for example:
Rx Cocoa butter, 1 ounce
Almond oil (sweet), 2 drams
Melt and mix, while stirring, with:
1 egg yolk
Oil of neroli, 3 drops
Carmine, 1 and 1/2 to 3 grains
Form into small blocks.
Or,
Rx Cocoa butter, 3 ounces
White wax, 1 ounce
Spermaceti, 4 drams
Oil of jasmine, 4 drams
Allow to cool down a bit, and then mix with:
Oil of bergamot, 17 drops
Carmine, 1 and 1/2 to 3 grains
Form into small blocks.
Glycerin
On account of its relationship with fats, we may next mention glycerin. This also makes the skin soft and flexible, in addition to heightening its gloss.
Glycerin, too, plays a part in cosmetics of being a non-drying solvent for many substances.
It cannot be denied that in case of rhagades, whether on the hands or lips, glycerin, in virtue of its dehydrating action, produces a burning sensation, and normally makes the skin of the face raw and lusterless. On account of this quality, it may be used with good results in seborrheic skin affections, thus:
Glyconin, for cracked lips and hands:
Rx Glycerin, 6 drams
Egg yolk, 5 drams
Gelée de Glycerin, for rhagades of the skin:
Rx Pure white soap, 15 grains
Dissolve in a little distilled water; mix with:
Almond oil, 1 and 1/2 ounces
Pure glycerin, 80 grains
Oil of thyme, 20 drops
Oil of clove, 20 drops
Oil of bergamot, 15 drops
Junonia Glycerin Paste, for washing the face and hands instead of soap:
Rx Powdered tragacanth, 109 grains
Rose water, 5 drams
Glycerin, 1 and 1/2 ounces
Tincture of benzoin, 3 drams
Orange flower water, 5 drops
Finally, the Glycerin Cold Cream recommended by Paschki may be noted:
Rx Starch, 80 grains
Rose water, 90 drops
Glycerin, 3 ounces
Oil of rose, 2 drops
Emulsions
One may employ the emulsions with the greatest advantage. The term signifies such cosmetic applications as form a milky fluid when mixed with water. Usually they contain oils, balsams, or resins which are not soluble in water, so that before use they must be thoroughly shaken. One or two tablespoonfuls are added to the water for washing the face—first of all at bedtime, and later, when the skin becomes habituated to their action, several times a day. Too much should not be used, or harm may result. To this class belong many of the so-called washes and the like, which make the skin supple and restore its gloss. They are particularly valuable for slight seborrheic conditions of the face. Probably the resins and balsams have a mechanical action in obliterating the furrows and smoothing the wrinkles of the skin.
From the immense number of such preparations we may select a few as examples:
Lait de Jeunesse:
Rx. Tincture of benzoin, 3 drams
Rose water, 3 and 1/2 ounces
Quintessence Balsamique du Harem:
Rx Balsam of Peru, 1 and 1/2 drams
Oil of lavender, 40 drops
Camphor, 1 and 1/2 grains
Spirit of rose, 4 ounces
Eau de Princesse:
Rx Tincture of benzoin, 68 drops
Potassium carbonate, 17 drops
Spirit of camphor, 17 drops
Eau de Cologne, 8 ounces
Tincture of musk, 4 drops
"Emulsion 47":
Rx Lanolin, 3 drams
Borax, 15 grains
Rose water, 3 and 1/2 ounces
Aqua Cosmetica:
Rx Almonds, 4 and 1/2 drams
Grind with:
Rose water, 6 ounces
Orange flower water, 6 ounces
Add:
Tincture of benzoin, 40 drops
Venetian borax, 40 drops
In dealing with very irritable skins, the borax should be omitted.
Lilienmilch:
Rx Sweet almonds, 1 ounce
Rose water, 6 ounces
Make into an emulsion.
Powdered (Venetian) soap, 30 drops
White wax, 30 drops
Almond oil, 30 drops
Melt and dissolve in:
Alcohol, 1 and 1/2 ounces
Oil of lavender, 10 drops
Oil of bergamot, 30 drops
Oil of rose, 7 drops
Mix according to art.
Eau Cosmétique:
Rx Bitter almonds, 2 drams
Sweet almonds, 6 ounces
Grind, and add:
Orange flower water, 1 and 1/2 ounces
Rose water, 3 ounces
Tincture of benzoin, 15 drops
"Emulsion 51":
Rx Borax, 2 drams
Lanolin, 150 grains
Orange flower water, 2 and 1/2 ounces
Rose water, 2 and 1/2 ounces
Eau de Mille Fleurs:
Rx Balsam of Peru, 40 drops
Oil of bergamot, 68 drops
Oil of clove, 30 drops
Oil of orange flowers, 8 drops
Essence of musk, 8 drops
Alcohol [spiritus vini], 4 ounces
Orange flower water, 1 and 1/2 ounces
Esprit au Bouquet:
Rx Oil of bergamot, 68 drops
Oil of lavender, 12 drops
Oil of clove, 12 drops
Tincture of musk, 12 drops
Oil of cinnamon, 30 drops
Alcohol [spiritus vini], 8 ounces
Espirit Noble:
Rx Oil of lavender, 34 drops
Oil of bergamot, 2 drams
Oil of cinnamon, 15 drops
Oil of clove, 15 drops
Oil of neroli, 10 drops
Balsam of Peru, 4 drams
Sweetgum [styrac. liquid.], 4 drams
Musk, 3/4 grain
Alcohol [spiritus vini], 8 ounces
Eau de la Reine Semiramis:
Rx Spirit of rose, 3 ounces
Spirit of orange flower, 4 drams
Spirit of clove, 4 drams
Oil of bergamot, 17 drops
Oil of lime, 17 drops
Essence of ambergris, 3 ounces
Eau Sans Pareille:
Rx Oil of lime, 68 drops
Oil of bergamot, 15 drops
Oil of rosemary, 7 drops
Oil of rose, 3 drops
Alcohol [spiritus vini], 8 ounces
Eau de Serail:
Rx Oil of rose, 6 drops
Oil of bergamot, 15 drops
Oil of orange flowers, 4 drops
Alcohol [spiritus vini], 4 ounces
For smoothing out wrinkles Paschki employs the following paste:
Rx Sweet almonds, 1 ounce
Bitter almonds, 150 grains
Balsam of Peru, 85 drops
White honey, 85 drops
(Wash the face with a piece the size of a hazelnut rubbed up with water.)
Alkalies
One may next mention the alkalies, of which the carbonates and chlorides are best for cosmetic purposes, on account of their mild effects. This is due to their affinity for water and their destructive action upon albumin. They are often useful in seborrhea and mild cases of acne.
Alkali Wash 59:
Rx Potassium carbonate, 32 grains
Tincture of benzoin, 3 drams
Rose water, 3 and 1/2 ounces
(A teaspoonful added to the water.)
For Washing the Face:
Rx Sodium carbonate, 80 grains
Rose water, 3 and 1/2 ounces
Glycerin, 1 and 1/2 ounces
Extract of millefleur, 10 drops
Lilionèse:
Rx Borax (Venetian), 2 drams
Potassium carbonate, 1 ounce
Dissolve in
Raspberry water, 2 ounces
Rose water, 2 ounces
Add:
Eau de Cologne, 80 drops
Alkalies are particularly valuable in cases of freckles. A few more of Paschkis' formulas are given below:
Kimball's Cure for Freckles:
Rx Potassium acetate, 15 grains
Distilled water, 1 and 1/2 ounces
Alcohol [spiritus vini], freely as wanted
Oil of rose, freely as wanted
Lengyel's Birch Balsam:
Rx Potassium carbonate, 30 grains
Sodium salicylate 80 grains
Soap, 15 grains
Mucilage gum arabic, 85 drops
Glycerin, 3 drams
Water, 3 and 1/2 ounces
Essence of myrobolan, 5 drops
Oil of neroli, 2 drops
Freckle-water:
Rx Potassium carbonate, 160 grains
Potassium chloride, 80 grains
Borax [Venetian], 30 grains
Rose water, 1 and 1/2 ounces
Orange flower water, 1 and 1/2 ounces
White sugar, 620 grains
Glycerin, 7 drams
All of the above, however, as well as the undermentioned ointment (Hebra), can merely check the process and act as palliatives.
Freckle-ointment:
Rx White ammoniated mercury, 80 grains
Bismuth subnitrate, 80 grains
Ointment of glycerin, 6 drams
The sole radical cure is the use of carbolic acid:
Rx Carbolic acid liq., 3 drams. (For external use in cases of freckles.)
It is best applied on a pointed match. Each isolated brown spot should be touched. The corrosion causes first a whiteness; then the part becomes black, red, and lastly—after a few days—pale. The face is naturally disfigured for a day or two, so that it is advisable to operate on a small part only at each sitting. One must merely burn superficially, and of course exercise great care.
Reference must still be made to borax, which is an excellent cosmetic. We have already recommended it in the preceding pages, but a few prescriptions from Paschkis may not be out of place here:
Hufeland's Beauty-water:
Rx Borax, 30 grains
Rose water, 3 and 1/2 drams
Orange flower water, 3 and 1/2 drams
Skin Cream, for making the hands white and soft:
Rx Borax (Venetian), 80 grains
Ointment, 1 and 1/2 ounces
Beauty Powder:
Rx Rice starch, 6 and 1/2 drams
Borax, 80 grains
Eau de Cologne, a sufficient quantity
Make into a powder.
Paschkis No. 70:
Rx Bitter almonds, 160 grains
Rose water, 3 and 1/2 ounces
Make into an emulsion, and add:
Borax, 80 grains
Tincture of benzoin, 3 drams
Borax is of value in mild cases of hyperidrosis:
Rx Borax (powdered), 6 drams
Aluminum plumosi, 2 and 1/2 ounces.
(To be dusted into the stockings.)
Acids
The acids, however, are to be preferred for hyperidrosis. The well-known salicylic dusting powder is sufficient in slight hyperidrosis:
Rx Salicylic acid, 45 grains
Wheat starch, 160 grains
Talc, 2 ounces
Bruch (Korresp. f. Schweizer Aerzte, November, 1904) suggests that the feet be washed thoroughly with boracic solution, then moistened with spirit, and the spirit allowed to evaporate.
Potassium permanganate has also been recommended. Every evening a hot foot bath of fifteen minutes' duration, with 1 to 6 per cent permanganate solution, is taken, and in the evening the feet sprinkled with:
Rx Potassium permanganate, 1/2 ounce
Alum, 15 grains
Talc, 1 and 1/2 ounces
Zinc oxide, 260 grains
Lime [calcaria], 260 grains
For severe cases, lenicet dusting powder is useful, and one of the numerous formalin preparations, such as 10 per cent vasenol-formalin powder, or the foralin ointment known as "vestosol."
Salicylic acid in concentrated alcoholic solution may be recommended for the removal of nevi, though its keratolytic action is rather uncertain. electrolysis used in the way we shall describe later, whilst referring to hirsuties, gives more excellent results.
Paschkis, however, recommends salicylic acid for cases of premature wrinkling:
Rx Salicylic acid, 45 grains
French brandy, 4 ounces
Eau de Cologne, 4 ounces
Glycerin, 1 and 1/2 ounces
(After washing, damp the skin with the lotion, dry off with a fine towel, and then apply a powder.)
Hydrogen peroxide is valuable in the treatment of comedones, which are readily bleached by rubbing in this substance six to eight times daily.
Resorcin dissolved in alcohol forms an excellent application in seborrhea of the face, for example:
Rx Resorcin, 30 to 75 grains
Alcohol, 3 and 1/2 ounces
The solution is applied to the affected parts several times a day, and a weak sulphur and salicylic ointment used immediately afterwards:
Rx Salicylic acid, 15 grains
Prepared sulphur, 1 dram
Oil of rose, 2 drops
White vaseline, 1 and 1/2 ounces
Mix and make into an ointment.
Another useful application for seborrhea of the face is to be found in tannic acid.
Rx Tannic acid, 15 grains
Alcohol [spiritus vini], 1 and 1/2 drams
Glycerin, 1 and 1/2 drams
Distilled water, 1 and 1/2 ounces
(Apply several times a day.)
For chilblains Paschkis recommends painting with:
Rx Tannic acid, 30 grains
Alcohol [spiritus vini], 1 and 1/2 drams
Collodion ["liquid bandage"], 6 drams
Tincture of benzoin, 34 drops.
(To be painted on.)
But personally, I prefer the calcium chlorate ointment suggested by Binz:
Rx Calcium chloride, 3 drams
Wax-based ointment, 3 ounces
or the cold cream soap introduced by Vieth and myself (Dermat. Centralbl., 1906):
Rx Euresol, 34 drops*
Eucalyptol, 34 drops
Oil of terebinth, 34 drops
Lanolin, 34 drops
Oily soap, 6 drams
*Editor's note: Euresol is the trade name for resorcin monoacetate.
This is supplied by the chemist in tubes containing 30 grains, and is to be rubbed into the skin until dry.
For mild cases of chilblains, the paint employed by Rust is sufficient:
Rx Balsam of Peru, 1 and 1/2 ounces
Oleo balsamic mixture, 1 ounce
Eau de Cologne, 1 ounce
Sulphur
Sulphur is a substance largely used in dermatology. In using it we follow the principles laid down in every textbook of skin diseases, and it is certainly a useful remedy for quite a number of conditions.
From a cosmetic standpoint, I shall merely refer to Kummerfeld's Water, for which there are a great number of recipes. The following is one chosen from Bermatzik ("Kosmetica" in Eulenburg's "Realenzyclopädie"):
Rx Prepared sulphur, 180 grains
Camphor, 15 grains
Mucilage gum arabic, 90 grains
Work together; then mix with:
Lime water, 3 and 1/2 ounces
Rose water, 3 and 1/2 ounces
This may be used for ild forms of acne or seborrhea, either by directly applying it to the affected areas after thoroughly shaking the bottle, or by painting on the sediment and allowing it to remain on the skin overnight.
The sulpur preparations in common use are, flowers of sulphur, which is insoluble, and milk of sulphur, which, in the freshly prepared condition, is a mixture of insoluble and colloid sulphur. I have asked the firm of Heyden to prepare me a colloid sulphur, and this I can strongly recommend for cosmetic purposes. We give it for slight seborrheic conditions in the form of a 10 per cent watery solution:
Rx Colloidal sulphur., 3 drams
Distilled water, 3 ounces
(The affected part to be washed with this lotion.)
Or in mild forms of acne as Kromayer's emulsion (Die Heilkunde, September, 1905):
Rx Prepared sulphur, 3 drams
Alcohol [spiritus vini], 1 and 1/2 ounces
Glycerin, 1 and 1/2 drams
(To be painted on at night.)
Lastly, one may mention the cosmetic cream employed by Hebra, which is also for seborrhea facei and mild acne:
Rx Prepared sulphur, 3 drams
Glycerin, 3 drams
Proof spirit [diluted alcohol], 3 drams
Potassium carbonate, 3 drams
Ether, 3 drams
Like Zeissl's paste, this mixture, after shaking well, is painted on in the evening, and washed off with borax solution next morning.
Paints
Finally let us consider the paints. These may be powder, water, or oil paints.
The first mentioned must be finely pulverized, and not at all coarse to the touch. Such perfumed powders are applied with the puff and lightly flicked off. Paints should be rubbed in with the finger, a leather glove, or a piece of fine cloth.
Powder paints protect the tender skin of the face against cold and damp. The basis of such powders often consists of starch in the form of rice flour, to which have been added various scented vegetable powders. A simple white powder is to be found in finely ground and purified talc. As a rule, however, the white cosmetic powders are compounded of talc, chalk, or meerschaum, mixed with such substances as oxide of zinc, carbonate of magnesia, baryta, white lead, bismuth, etc.
Red Powder:
Rx Fine red clay, 180 grains
Carmine, 1 and 1/2 to 7 grains
Flesh-Colored Powder:
Rx Calcium sulphate, 4 drams
White magnesium, 45 grains
Pure starch, 6 drams
Carmine, 1 and 1/2 to 7 grains
Pearl Paint:
Rx Bismuth nitrate, 1 dram
Zinc oxide, 1 dram
Very fine powder, 5 drams
Rice Powder:
Rx Rice starch, 3 ounces
Orris root powder, 1 ounce
Oil of geranium, 5 drops
Débay's Blanc de Cygne:
Rx Baryta sulphurica, 7 ounces
Zinc oxide, 16 ounces
Talcum powder, 4 ounces
Saunder's Bloom of Ninon:
Rx Bismuth carbonate, 6 drams
Zinc oxide, 2 ounces
Talcum powder, 2 and 1/2 ounces
Precipitated chalk, 2 and 1/2 ounces
Wheat starch, 3 ounces
The preparation of water paints is effected by suspending white insoluble substances in perfumed water.
Suspension is assisted by the introduction of resinous solutions, such as tincture of benzoin, or solutions of volatile oils, such as Eau de Cologne. It is useless to add borax or similar cosmetic preparations, though this is frequently done. The carmine employed is dissolved in ammonia and highly perfumed, usually with otto of roses.
Fluid White Paint (Blanc de Neige):
Rx Zinc oxide, 3 ounces
Talcum powder, 6 drams
Eau de Cologne, 4 ounces
Rose water, 4 ounces
Fluid Red Paint (Débay's Rose Liquide):
Rx. Potassium oxalate, 7 grains
Distilled water, 8 ounces
Alcohol, 4 drams
Camine, 7 grains
Amm. p. liq., 3 and 1/2 grains
Oil paints are manufactured from the same varieties of powder as the other paints, and, to give them a consistency, small quantities of spermaceti or was, or in winter cocoa butter, are added.
For blondes they are mixed with carmine, or carmine and ochre; for brunettes, with indigo.
It is ipossible to deal in detail with such paints as fill the market. Their number is legion. Suffice it to give an example from Paschkis:
White Oil Paint:
Rx Talcum powder alcohol., 2 and 1/2 drams
Zinc oxide (fine powder), 15 grains
Spermaceti, 3 drams
Almond oil (sweet), 6 drams
Red Oil Paint (James):
Rx Carthamin [red coloring matter of Safflower], 17 drops
Talcum powder alcohol., 2 and 1/2 drams
Spermaceti, 3 drams
Almond oil (sweet), 6 drams
A black paint may be obtained by the substitution of lab-black or bone-black in the unguent. Indian ink, whose use dates from Assyrian and roman ties, is still employed, dissolved in rosewater, for application with a camel hair brush.
The cosetic use of paints demands special desterity and artistic talent. As a rule, the face is smeared with cold cream or vaseline, and the excess removed with a fine cambric towel. Then follows the even application and removal of a white powder, and finally the selected paint is applied. Its removal is effected by rubbing the face with fat, vaseline, glycerin, or cream, before cleansing it with soap and water. Powder and water paints are easily washed off without such treatment.
For a complete understanding of the hair and its disorders, one must take a wide view of the subject, and look to general principles. In this, more than in any other department of cosmetics, quackery and swindling hold their sway. One vendor maintains that his birch hair wash promotes a luxurious growth and preserves the hair wonderfully; another recommends nothing else but a simple soap (Hebra's soap) to check and prevent baldness. Each asserts that he has discovered a preparation, to which he has given some special name—Javol, for instance—endowed with remarkable properties, having a large sale, and producing marvellous results. So long as these articles do no harm we may overlook their existence, and smile at the folly of the buyer. Not infrequently, however, their use is followed by unfortunate results, such as have been recorded by myself and other dermatologists, for example, dermatitis from the use of Javol.
Here I must pause to remark that the growth of hair can only be influenced by attention to the general health. It is ipossible to prescribe a hair restorer suitable in all cases, for one must take note of the whole bodily condition in order to arrive at the best method of treatment.
An account of the diseases of the hair is to be found in any textbook of skin diseases, and need not concern us here.
We may, however, consider the question of whether we can influence the growth of the hair in health and prevent early baldness. I believe I shall be able to give an affirmative answer.
First of all, the general condition of the whole body must be looked into. We must order exercise when too little has been taken, and regulate the diet should this be defective or excessive. I share with Deichler the opinion that the addition to the diet of raw eggs, unboiled milk, and foods rich in lime, has a preservative effect on the hair. Bischoff has demonstrated by experiment that frequent cutting has no influence upon its growth. We must not overlook the assistance to be derived from the use of drugs, and when there is a co-existent anemia order iron. I am in the habit of prescribing it in combination with arsenic, probably the only drug which is excreted through the hair.
With regard to local treatment, we must first recognize two varieties of hair: one conspicuously dry, the other rich in fat. It therefore follows that in the former case, should it be washed with an alkaline soap, the last remains of fat will be removed from the hair and leave it very brittle. For such dry hair one may order a pomade— not one such as is commonly sold, and of which nobody knows the ingredients, but a prescribed preparation. We give a few examples below, varying from the simplest to the most complicated:
"Hair Pomade 97":
Rx Suet, 6 and 1/2 drams
Hog's lard, 6 and 1/2 drams
Oil of orange flowers, 3 drops
"Hair Pomade 98":
Rx Hog's lard, 2 ounces
White wax, 180 grains
Melt and add:
Oil of violet, 1 dram
Oil of heliotrope, 4 drams
"Hair Pomade 99":
Rx Cocoa butter, 2 drams
Almond oil, 6 and 1/2 drams
Quinine sulphate, 15 grains
Oil of rose, 3 drops
Débay's Pomade:
Rx Suet, 2 ounces
Hog's lard, 2 ounces
Almond oil (sweet), 2 drams
Balsam of Peru, 1 dram
Tincture of benzoin, 3 drops
"Hair Pomade 101":
Hog's lard, 1 and 1/2 ounces
White wax, 2 drams
Melt, and after cooling off, mix with:
Oil of jasmine, a sufficient quantity
Pomade à la Pot-pourri:
Rx Suet, 8 ounces
Pure olive oil, 6 ounces
Melt with gentle heat and allow to cool off a bit; mix with:
Tincture of musk, 2 drams
Oil of lime, 2 drams
Oil of lavender, 1 dram
Oil of clove, 1 dram
Oil of bergamot, 1 dram
Oil of orange flowers, 1 dram
China Pomade:
Rx Beef bone marrow, 6 and 1/2 drams
Hog's lard, 4 ounces
Almond oil (sweet), 1 ounce
Melt with gentle heat and mix with:
Quinine extract, 7 grains
Cortic. quin. reg. pulv., 30 grains
Balsam of Peru, 34 drops
Oil of clove, 17 drops
Oil of rose, 1 drop
In place of a pomade many persons use hair oil, whose basis consists of a fatty oil prepared from fruits or seeds, such as almond oil, nut oil, etc., perfumed according to taste.
Jasmine Hair Oil:
Rx Almond oil, 3 ounces
Oil of jasmine, 1 and 1/2 ounces
Oil of rose, 1 drop
Ess. Bouquet Oil:
Rx Almond oil, 3 ounces
Oil of mignonette, 1 ounce
Oil of violet, 2 drams
Oil of rose, 1 drop
Huile de Mille Fleurs:
Rx Oil of jasmine, 2 ounces
Oil of rose, 2 ounces
Oil of orange flowers, 1 ounce
Oil of acacia, 1 ounce
Oil of tuberose, 1 ounce
Oil of hyacinth, 4 drams
Oil of narcissus, 4 drams
Tincture of vanilla, 4 drams
Ethereal Hair Elixir:
Rx Laurel concentrate, 2 ounces
Clove aromatic concentrate, 2 drams
Spirit of lavender spice, 8 ounces
Dissolve in well closed glass container, filter, remove remains, and add:
Ether. sulph., 4 drams
Sometimes, when fatty preparations are indicated, we prescribe brilliantine. The disease known as trichorrhexis nodosa is not, in my opinion, of parasitic origin, but arises rather from an abnormal dryness of the hair, and I can usually effect a speedy cure in such cases by forbidding the use of soap, and applying a brilliantine, as, for example:
Paschkis' Brilliantine:
Rx Castor oil, 1 and 1/2 drams
Alcohol [rectified Grape Spirit], 2 ounces
Oil of orange flower (etherized), 2 drops
Unna's Brilliantine:
Rx Glycerin, 3 drams
Lime juice, 3 drams
Spt. dilut., 3 ounces
After the prolonged use of hair oil or brilliantine, the hair acquires a greasy covering, and there is the additional danger of the fat becoming rancid in the hair follicle. On this account the head ought to be washed frequently, as often as once or twice a week.
Simple washing with soap and water is not sufficient. One should make use of a hair wash, containing, above all, alcohol as a fat solvent.
Hair Wash:
Rx Balsam of Peru, 1 and 1/2 drams
Berorcini, 50 drops
Spt. colon., 6 ounces
Acting on these principles, we may succeed in preserving for the hair its original abundance and beauty. But on the appearance of the first sign of scale formation on the scalp we must direct all of our energies towards the prevention of baldness, for those branny scales are an early indication of alopecia seborrhoica, or pityroides. Should the hair have already begun to fall out, the disease is in its second stage, and the possibilities of cure are lessened.
It has frequently been asserted that such early baldness is hereditary. The son, in a spirit of resignation, gives up treatment when his father tells him that the same early baldness appeared in his own case. With this I cannot agree, and I have never been able to convince myself that heredity plays a part in this disease. No; the disease is so common that it is not to be wondered at that it is found alike in father and son. But I have frequently noted that it is possible to prevent its complete development in the son if he begins treatment sufficiently early. It is uncommon to find a fully established alopecia in women, who naturally seek medical advice as soon as they see it appearing, although in my experience it attacks the sexes with equal frequency.
How does the affection begin? As we have already observed, with scale formation, in consequence of which baldness begins to appear in about a year. Seborrhea is thus the primary lesion; not a pure seborrhea, but rather an abnormal cornification of the superficial layers of the epidermis— a parakeratosis. Cornification proceeds so rapidly that the uppermost cells of the stratum corneum retain their nucleus and remain soft, in consequence of which they disintegrate readily into branny scales. The longer this process continues, the more does it tend to affect the epidermis of the hair follicles; and once it reaches the outer root-sheath of the hair, it must seriously interfere with its nourishment, for ost of the vessels supplying the hair do not radiate from the hair papilla, but from each side of the follicle. Consequently pressure upon the blood and lymph vessels by the cornified outer root-sheath will interfere with the nutrition of the hair and cause it to fall out. Our treatment is rendered much more difficult because no drug will penetrate as far as the affected tissue. So long as the process is confined to the surface we can accomplish much, but less when it has become deep-seated.
We must therefore urge the patient to come to us for treatment as soon as possible. The first symptom shows itself in the formation of branny scales— the "scruff"— as if the hair had been sprinkled with a fine powder. In this stage the most careful washing with soap and water is of no avail. That alone cannot remove the scales, and one must resort to the treatment described below. After the scaling has been established for a time the hair begins to fall out, gradually at first, and in greater quantity as time goes on. The forehead becomes higher, with retreating temples on either side, constituting the "Wallenstein head." Then a bald patch appears on the crown, and in advanced stages the head is as smooth as a billiard ball, with only an edging of hair in place of the original abundance.
How may we cure this alopecia seborrhoica, or pityroides, or proesenilis? A great number of quack preparations have been vaunted, against all of which one cannot be too strongly warned. through their use the patient not only loses valuable time, but, what is more important, his hair.
Treatment should consist firstly in the removal of dandruff with Hebra's soap spirit:
Rx Spt. saponato-kalin., 3 ounces*
*Editor's note: Hebra's soap spirit is made with two parts of potash soap and one part of alcohol.
Or, the aromatic soap spirit whose recipe we have already given. A tablespoonful is taken in the hollow of the hand and thoroughly rubbed on to the head. Then the process is repeated, using a tablespoonful of lukewarm water. This procedure is repeated once, and the soapsuds allowed to remain for ten minutes, so that it may exercise its emulsifying qualities. It is then washed off with plenty of water.
Women with abundant hair complain that they cannot keep it tidy next day, but this is due to their having used too little water to remove the soap. After the hair has been dried as well as possible— in case of women by means of a drying apparatus to be had for a few shillings— we should commence the use of a sulphur ointment. Sulphur is a reducing substance, and is therefore potent in antagonizing the parakeratosis above described, whose essential feature is hyperoxidation. We prescribe a sulphur ointment as under:
Rx Prepared sulphur, 1 and 1/2 drams
Oil of rose, 2 drops
White vaseline., 2 ounces
Still better, for reasons already mentioned, is colloidal sulphur, which may be rubbed gently into the skin:
Sulphur Soap Hair Pomade:
Rx Sulphur colloid, 1 and 1/2 drams
Oil of rose, 2 drops
Green soap, 4 drams
Distilled water, 1 ounce
The patient must be methodical in his use of the sulphur. Each evening only one quarter of the head should be treated. The quarter to be dealt with may be parted by three lines in each direction, so as to form twelve squares, and into each of these a piece of ointment the size of a pea rubbed with the finger. On the fifth day the head is again washed with soap spirit, and the same evening the first quarter of the head treated with ointment. The dandruff rapidly disappears under such treatment. To begin with, more hair than usual may fall out, owing to the rubbing; but, as a rule, less and less falls out, until after four to six weeks of treatment, it altogether ceases to do so. Then we take the next step, that of prescribing a hair wash, its choice depending upon whether we are dealing with a fatty or dry hair. In the former case we give an alcoholic hair wash, to which are added various substances for promoting a growth. Should the hair be dry, we use the same substances, with castor oil instead of spirit. A few examples may suffice:
Wash for a Fatty Hair:
Rx Tannic acid, 40 grains
Resorcini, 3 grains
Spirit of lavender, 3 ounces
Spirit of rosemary, 3 ounces
The tannin may cause a slight dermatitis, in which case one should use:
Rx Tincture of cantharides, 40 to 80 drops
Spirit of lavender, 3 ounces
Spirit of rosemary, 3 ounces
Wash for a Dry Hair:
Rx Chloral hydrate, 3 drams
Castor oil, 3 to 6 drams
Distilled water, 8 ounces
More or less oil may be added, according to the requirements of the individual case.
A hair wash containing both oil and spirit for prolonged use may be mentioned:
Rx Resorcini, 1 and 1/2 to 3 drams
Balsam of Peru, 8 drops
Castor oil, 1 and 1/2 ounces
Spirit of lavender, 2 and 1/2 ounces
Spirit of rosemary, 2 and 1/2 ounces
Special stress must be laid upon the prolonged duration of the treatment.
Space forbids us to make any but the briefest mention of the many so-called remedies for baldness. I will note a few with which the names of famous dermatologists are associated:
Lassar's Recipe:
Rx Pilocarpine nitrate, 30 grains
Quinine hydrochloride, 60 grains
Prepared sulphur, 150 grains
Balsam of Peru, 6 drams
Beef bone marrow, ad 3 ounces
Pohl-Pincus' Recipe:
Rx Sodium bicarbonate, 150 grains
Ointment, 2 ounces
Hebra's Recipe:
Rx Tincture of benzoin, 4 drams
Spirit of ether, 3 and 1/2 ounces
Kaposi's Recipe:
Rx Carbolic acid, 3 drops
Glycerin, 4 drams
Alcohol [spiritus vini], 3 and 1/2 ounces
J. Neumann's Recipe:
Rx Carbolic acid, 1 and 1/2 drams
Balsam of Peru, 1 and 1/2 drams
Spirit of lavender, 1 and 1/2 drams
French brandy, 9 ounces
Pohl-Pincus' Remedy:
Rx Sodium bicarbonate, 30 to 60 grains
Distilled water, 6 ounces
Many recommend a 10 per cent camphor spirit. In any case the two important points to observe are:
1. Treatment must be commenced early; and
2. It must be persisted with for a considerable time.
If these are attended to there will be fewer failures.
Whilst it is frequently incumbent upon us to preserve hair, it occasionally falls to our lot to remove it, as in the case of hirsuties affecting women. A great number of ladies are disfigured by the growth of superfluous hair on the upper lip, cheeks, chin, or neck. Naturally it is more conspicuous in brunettes than in blondes. Those affected are often so sensitive as to their defect that they wish the hair removed, and it is usually the face that we are called upon to treat.
There is only one method which, in spite of certain disadvantages, offers the possibility of immediate cure, namely, electrolysis.
The operation may be carried out by any medical man. All that is required is a galvanic battery with a rheostat and galvanometer. The positive pole is connected with a large electrode, which the patient takes in his hand, whilst to the negative pole is attached a holder which carries the fine electrolysis needle. Personally I use the "Englischen Zapfenreibahlen," which are cheap and easy to manipulate, but instead one may employ platinum or iridium needles. The patient sits on a comfortable chair, and the operator introduces his needle into the follicle of each superfluous hair. The current is closed by the key on the needle holder, and a few seconds later bubbles of hydrogen appear at the site of the puncture. After waiting half a minute to one minute, the needle is withdrawn, and the next hair attacked in similar fashion. By means of epilation forceps the hairs are drawn out about a quarter of an hour after this treatment. If the hiar has been touched by the needle it is easily withdrawn; otherwise its removal will be difficult and painful. After introducing the needle, one may either slowly increase the current by means of the rheostat, up to the highest limit the patient can bear, or else gain from previous experience the amount of current which answers best. Sometimes it facilitates matters if the patient takes the electrode in both hands, or grasps it only after introduction of the needle. In many cases the pain is trifling. For my own part, I make it a principle to use only as much current as the patient can comfortably bear, an amount which differs in each case. I have taught many women how they may carry out treatment themselves. They stand upon a specially constructed electrode, and introduce the needle by the aid of a mirror.
We desire, of course, a permanent epilation when we attack the hair papilla. Herein lies the great disadvantage of the method. We cannot be certain of reaching the papilla, as we are unable to see it through the skin, and the direction of the hair follicle may be perpendicular or oblique. Experienced operators have about 50 per cent of failures; that is to say, about fifty hairs grow again out of a hundred treatedby electrolysis.
Yet it is the only method which I can feel justified in recommending. Certainly it has the above disadvantages, but in the hands of a fairly dexterous operator can at least do no harm. Cosmetically the result is perfect, and after removal of the hair, leaves the skin smooth and normal. Nothing is left to mark the position of the hair, and above all, there is no scar to be seen.
There is a second method which has been recommended for the treatment of hirsuties— the Röntgen rays. When the property of the rays become known, we looked to them with great hope as a means of dealing with superfluous hair. But, after extended and repeated trials, I can only utter a warning. Apart from burns, which can now be avoided if care is taken, I have seen, as a result of this treatment, atrophy, telangiectasis, and even pigmentation of the face— much graver cosmetic defects than any growth of hair would have been.
Let me quote the opinions of two other observers. H. E. Schmidt (Deutsche Med. Woch., 1905, No. 17) writes: "By the application of weak Röntgen rays we may cause the hair to fall out without injuring the skin. The baldness is, however, only temporary, the hair growing again in a period of six to eight weeks. If the loss of hair is to be lasting the Röntgen treatment must be persisted in for a long time, applied every four or six weeks, until, after a year or two, the hair follicles are destroed. It is, however, impossible to attain this object without affecting the rest of the skin, which has a white, smooth, and atrophic appearance. One may only employ the rays in selected cases of hypertrichosis. Severe erythema and moist dermatitis may result. It appears that severer reactions than those mentioned above may result, such as punctate telangiectasis, and in dark persons spotted and striped pigmentations. The latter may fade a little after some months. Cases of hypertrichosis, in which one does not wish to employ the painful and uncertain method of electrolysis, may be treated by Röntgen rays, but great care must be exercised, and the patient warned, before the beginning of the treatment, that atrophy of the skin will probably follow."
Keinböck, writing on the same subject (Archiv f. Dermatol., Bd. 82), referred to fifteen cases of hypertrichosis treated by the rays. In five baldness was achieved without any bad effect, atrophy of the skin occurred in eight, cyanosis in two. After these experiences he confined his Röntgen-ray treatment of hypertrichosis to thick, disfiguring black growths of beard. Telangiectasis was of fairly frequent occurrence. In case of blonde young persons, the risk of dermatitis, and the other results which we have mentioned, constitute serious obstacles to this method of treatment.
Here I should like to remark that electrolysis, in spite of its drawbacks, does not stand alone as a commendable method of treating hypertrichosis. If the patient for any reason wishes a palliative treatment, he may be encouraged to try a depilation paste.
These can by their chemical action remove hair without injuring the skin. For such purposes one uses sodium or calcium hydrate, or orpiment. They are appied in the form of a paste for ten to fifteen minutes, and the softened hair then removed with a spatula. Should the skin be at all inflamed, a cold cream may be rubbed in. We may mention a few depilatories:
Débay's Depilatory:
Rx Calcium hydrate, 120 grains
Orpiment, 15 grains
Liquid potassium, a sufficient quantity
Egg white, a sufficient quantity
Make into a soft paste.
Paschkis' Depilatory:
Rx Barium sulphate, 150 grains
Zinc oxide, 1/2 ounce
Starch, 1/2 ounce
Mix with water to form a paste.
Reveil-Martius-Böttger's Depilatory:
Rx Calcium hydrate, 6 drams
Glycerin ointment, 3 drams
Starch, 3 drams
Essence of lime, 10 drops
Spread on in a layer 1 to 2 millimeters thick, and wash off in 10 to 30 minutes.
Oriental Depilatory:
Rx Calcium hydrate, 1 ounce
Powdered orpiment, 75 grains
Make into a soft paste with water.
Occasionally we are called upon to supply a hair dye for early greyness. To attain a perfect cosmetic result, these must be easy to use, and must dye the hair evenly in a short space of time. They should, of course, contain no harmful ingredients, and in this connection a warning note must be uttered against the much-vaunted dyes sold in shops under various fancy names, which not infrequently set up a severe artificial dermatitis. I grant that many persons employ them with good results, yet the resulting inflammations of the skin are of such an unpleasant nature that I can say no word in their favor. We have no right to be satisfied with such articles, whose composition is a trade secret of the inventors, and which consist mainly of lead preparations. On the contrary, we can achieve a like result by simpler applications.
One may recommend hair oils consisting of animal fats, darkened by means of an extract of walnut shells:
Rx Bruised walnut shells, 2 ounces
Gallar. contus., 4 drams
Carbon. salic., 1 dram
Sod. chlorat., 4 drams
Dry orange peel conc., 1 ounce
Spring water, 50 ounces
Boil to the consistency of an ointment.
Or the following combination of oil and nut extract:
Rx Walnuts, 16 ounces
Bruise, and add:
Alum crud., 8 ounces
Olive oil, 24 ounces
Dissolve with gentle heat, and strain.
To obtain a black dye we use the following pomade:
Rx Prepared hog's lard, 1 and 1/2 ounces
White wax, 4 drams
Heat just enough to liquefy, and then add:
Burnt ivory, 4 drams
A further agent is to be found in lunar caustic, either as:
Rx Nitrate of silver, 15 grains
Caustic potash, 4 grains
Dissolve in a sufficient quantity of rose water; add:
Ung. pomadin. ordin. 1 ounce
Or in the form mentioned by Paschkis:
Rx Nitrate of silver, 15 grains
Tartar. depur., 15 grains
Ammonia, 30 grains
Ung. rosat., 1 ounce
If we cannot produce the desired effect by means of the above formulas, we may resort to the combined use of silver nitrate and pyrogallic acid. This enables us to arrive at any tint from very fair to brown and deep black, according to the concentration of the solution employed. One may pass from weak to strong concentrations until the desired color is arrived at. The pyrogallic acid solution is of constant strength, and is labeled Solution I, while Solution II, which contains the nitrate of silver, varies according to the result desired:
Solution I:
Rx Pyrogallic acid, 8 grains
Alcohol [spiritus vini], 3 and 1/2 drams
Distilled water, 11 drams
Solution II, Light Brown to Fair:
Rx Nitrate of silver, 15 grains
Ammonia, 45 grains
Distilled water, 1 ounce
Solution II, Brown:
Rx Nitrate of silver, 20 grains
Ammonia, 70 drops
Distilled water, 7 drams
Solution II, Black to Dark Brown:
Rx Nitrate of silver, 35 grains
Ammonia, 2 drams
Distilled water, 6 drams
The instructions for use are as follows: The hair is first washed with a weak soda solution. This is bathed off with warm water, and the head dried with a fine towel and then rubbed with white sandpaper. It is next brushed with a fine toothbrush, soaked in Solution 1, until the dye has been evenly communicated to it. Five minutes later one brushes in Solution II on a second toothbrush, care being taken that the liquid penetrates to the skin. Its even distribution is assisted by combing. One cannot lay down any general rule as to how often the solutions should be applied, the frequency depending upon the individual case. Great care and patience must be exercised if one wishes to produce a good stable color, and the art can only be learned by experience. If the silver solution has affected the skin, any black spots may be removed with potassium iodide.
A blonde tint, such as some mothers try to produce in their children's hair by brushing it with vinegar, lemon juice, or chamomile tea, and by avoiding fatty applications, may be conferred by the use of weak hydrogen peroxide or potassium permanganate:
Rx Potassium permanganate, 75 grains
Distilled water, 3 ounces
The hair being first washed and dried as above, and the solution brushed on, it is combed until an even color is produced. Any remaining spots may be treated with soap and a 4 per cent solution of sulphite of soda. If the hair is already fair, the application will require to be renewed frequently, as the effect rapidly passes off.
Lastly I shall refer to powders for the hair, whose aim is to make the hair match the complexion or to produce a striking appearance. On the other hand, powdering of the hair is practiced in order to prevent its matting during illness, and for the sake of making an oily hair more beautiful. One may order:
Rx Orris root, 5 drams
Talcum powder, 7 and 1/2 drams
Rice starch, 12 and 1/2 drams
Tincture of musk, 8 drops
Oil of lime, 5 drops
Oil of bergamot, 5 drops
Orange oil, 2 drops
This subject we will deal with in brief.
The smoothness and gloss of the nails is increased by rubbing them with lemon juice, vinegar, or weak mineral acids, but their too frequent use may cause a drying of the nail fold, and painful cracks round about it. These, when they occur, should be anointed with one of the previously mentioned creams.
In order to hide white spots in the nail substance (leukonychia), one uses a polishing powder—for example:
Paschkis' Polishing Powder:
Rx Stanni oxydat. levigat., 150 grains [powder of oxidated tin]
Essence of lavender, a sufficient quantity
Tincture of carmine, a sufficient quantity
Too great emphasis cannot be laid upon careful examination to determine whether we are dealing with a disease of the lips, the gums, or the teeth. As O. Witzel (Deutsche Med. Woch., No. 46, 1905) condemned indiscriminate painting of the gums with tincture of iodine for all diseases of the teeth, we, too, must warn the reader not to use any of the numerous and much-vaunted applications until he has found out whether or not actual disease is present in the mouth. This must, of course, be treated in the first instance. We have already suggested a lip pomade for rhagades in this region. Paints also play an important role in the toilet of the lips, as by their use a large mouth may be made smaller, a small one larger, a drooping corner of the mouth more pleasing, lips too broad made narrower, and vice versa.
Should the gums be pale, spongy, lax, and easily bleed, one may resort to a tooth tincture. These contain astringent substances, such as tannic acid, in alcoholic solution— e.g.:
Rx Tannic acid, 30 grains
Salicylic acid, 30 grains
Alcohol [spiritus vini], 3 and 1/2 ounces
Oil of peppermint, 17 drops
Oil of clove, 5 drops
Or,
Rx Tincture of myrrh, 4 drams
Tincture of rhatany, 4 drams
Tincture of cinnamon, 2 drams
Spirit of lavender, 2 and 1/2 ounces
Or,
Rx China tincture, 4 drams
Tincture of rhatany, 4 drams
Oil of clove, 5 drops
The number of tooth powders is legion. A good powder should have a suitable color and a pleasant taste and smell, and possess the property of cleansing and preserving the teeth. Precipitated chalk, orris root powder, magnesia, or punice stone powder, may form the basis, the taste being improved by the addition of saccharin or liquorice, since sugar is harmful to the teeth.
"Tooth Powder 143":
Rx Magnesium carbonate, 5 drams
Prepared calcium carbonate, 20 drams
Powdered soap, 4 drams
Oil of peppermint, 30 drops
Hufeland's Tooth Powder:
Rx Cinchona bark, 150 grains
Lign. santal. rub., 700 grains
Alum. crud., 75 grains
Oil of clove, 8 drops
Oil of bergamot, 8 drops
Mix; make into a fine powder.
"Tooth Powder 145":
Rx Orris root, 170 grains
Crem. tartar., 200 grains
Cinchona bark, 30 grains
Cort. cinnam., 30 grains
Oil of peppermint, 3 drops
Oil of bitter almond, 2 drops
Oil of rose, 1 drop
Mix; make into a fine powder.
Toothpastes are made by mixing tooth powders with sufficient glyerin, syrup, or honey, to form a soft mass, or with enough spirit of wine to produce a hard cake. Hard toothpastes mostly contain 20 per cent of soap, and are called tooth soaps.
Odontine (Winkler):
Rx Pulv. conch., 22 grains
Pulv. lapid. puic., 15 grains.
Adde sensim:
Syr. sachar., 60 grains
Oil of peppermint, 3 grains
Alcohol [rectified grape spirit], 40 grains
Or,
"Toothpaste 147":
Rx Orris root, 100 grains
Sap. hispanic., 180 grains
Adde successive:
Oil of clove, 8 drops
Distilled water, 1 and 1/2 drams
Alcohol [rectified grape spirit], 1 and 1/2 drams
In order to convey to the mouth a clean smell, one may use a mouthwash, which is in most cases a perfumed and sweetened lotion. Certain of them are alcoholic solutions of volatile oils, forming with water a turbid milky fluid, and frothing in the mouth. The object of all these preparations is to destroy harmful substances and leave a pleasant taste in the mouth. There are those which neutralize the alkaline saliva; others having an astringent effect upon the mucous membrane; and the antiseptic group, containing volatile oils. Those last are characterized by the smallness of their dose, so that they are used mainly on account of the pleasant smell they impart to the breath. The use of mouthwashes must be stopped when in certain individuals they produce perioral eczema. As antiseptic ingredients may be mentioned creosote and certain vegetable acids; as deodorizers, chloride of calcium and permanganate of potash. The latter, apart from the fact that it imparts a brown color to the teeth and mucous embrane of the tongue, is an excellent application. A combination of chlorate of potash and borax is often efficacious in removing from the outh any unpleasant taste. Any of the following mouthwashes may be used by adding a teaspoonful to a glass of water.
"Mouthwash 148":
Rx Sugar, 75 grains
Sodium bicarbonate, 75 grains
Salicylic acid, 75 grains
Alcohol [rectified grape spirit], 4 ounces
Muller's Mouthwash:
Rx Thymol., 4 grains
Ac. benzoic., 45 grains
Tincture of eucalyptus, 3 and 1/2 drams
Distilled water, 24 ounces
Sahli's Mouthwash:
Rx Oil of peppermint, 85 drops
Clove, 3 drams
Cort. cinnam., 3 drams
Tincture of anise, 3 drams
Spirit., 30 ounces
Coccionell. pulv., 75 grains
Diger. per dies viii. Liquor. filtrat., adde:
Salol. puriss., 35 grains
We can recommend the following pastilles:
Rx Ground coffee, 170 grains
Carbon. til. pulv. subtil.[fine powder], 1 dram
White powdered sugar, 1 dram
Vanill. aromat., 1 dram
Make with mucilage gum arabic and rad. althea q.s. pastill. pond. 15 grains.
Instead of these, one may prescribe formamint tablets as sold, which contain the disinfectant formalin.
Lastly, for dryness of the mouth, as well as for the troublesome symptoms and pain of certain diseases of the tongue— as, for instance, Möller's glossitis superficialis chronica— Sahir tablets may be sucked with advantage.
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