Drug eruptions; a clinical study on the irritant effects of drugs upon the skin / [Prince A. Morrow].

  • Morrow, Prince A. (Prince Albert), 1846-1913
Date:
1887
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Drug eruptions; a clinical study on the irritant effects of drugs upon the skin / [Prince A. Morrow]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    SO signally appropriate as here. Not only may the qjiality of the exciting cause be appreciated, but, unlike other causes of disease, its exact qjiantity may be definitely determined. It must be admitted, however, that in many drug eruptions the result is entirely independent of condi- tions of quantity, as it follows indifferently large or small doses. If the efficient cause of drug eruptions be easily appre- hended, the remote or predisposing causes still remain to perplex and baffle the physician ; especially is the problem complicated by the existence of that etiological unknown— idiosyncrasy. Precisely as in the operation of other causes of disease, we find that susceptibility to the irritant action of drugs varies in different individuals and under different conditions. The predisposing causes, such as climatic conditions, age, sex, heredity, etc., which exert such a modifying and controlling influence over the pro- duction of skin affections in general, play a r61e of minor importance here. As regards the influence of climatic conditions, it has been observed that drug eruptions are more common in the summer season when the cutaneous functions are in the highest state of activity, and we may assume that all conditions which favor a fluxion to the surface predispose to the production of certain forms of drug eruptions. The use of alcohol, teas, hot drinks, etc., which stimu- late the cutaneous vascular system, are found to exert a marked influence in the production of the chloral rash, for example. Age and sex seem in no way to dispose the skin to the irritant action of drugs, except from the accident of peculiarities of anatomical structure. As is well known, the texture of the skin of women and children is much less dense and tough than the same organ in man. This