An inquiry into the aetiology of infantile eczema : being a thesis for the Degree of Doctor of Medicine in the University of Cambridge / by Arthur J. Hall.

  • Hall, Arthur John, Sir.
Date:
1905
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Licence: In copyright

Credit: An inquiry into the aetiology of infantile eczema : being a thesis for the Degree of Doctor of Medicine in the University of Cambridge / by Arthur J. Hall. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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

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    nervous irritability ; that in a few it is so readily aroused, even by the ordinary external stimuli of daily life, that they are constantly affected. One can hardly suppose that such an elaborate neuro-cutaneous response is purposeless, any more than that inflammation is purposeless. It seems more rational to suppose, that such a reaction is intended to serve some purpose, possibly to remove the irritant or to protect the skin surface. May it not be the rudimentary remains of some once-important function of the skin ? A function which, under the present conditions of life, has ceased to be effective, and which, like other rudimentary organs and functions, is more often detrimental than useful.