Part 3

BUTTON IN SAVAGE’S SKULL FIRST PLASTIC SURGERY

Even the ancient savages used to make holes in the skull to let out the demons which they believed were responsible for disease.

Instances are recorded in which they also repaired such holes by the insertion of buttons of bone previously removed. In attempting to repair the ravages of disease, surgeons today sometimes fill in defects with substances of various kinds. At the recent meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology in Colorado Springs, one entire session was devoted to the newest points in this fine surgical art.

Removing an Eye.--When an eye must be removed because of inflammation or disease--and this sometimes done promptly to save the sight of the remaining eye--the cavity that is left may be extremely unsightly. Dr. Harold Gifford of Omaha told of various operations that are done to secure a good appearance. When an artificial eye is to be worn the socket must be made suitable to hold it. Sometimes paraffin is employed to develop a proper cavity, although most physicians fear this substance because its injection may produce irritations and overgrowth more unsightly and certainly more dangerous than the condition the paraffin was planned to correct.

Dr. Harry L. Pollock of Chicago told of several instances in which cancerous growths had followed the injection of paraffin by beauty doctors to relieve wrinkles or the sunken bridge of a nose injured by a blow. The appearance seemed beautiful immediately after the injection of the paraffin, but soon the irritation set in. Then the face became a mass of humpy tumors which had to be removed by surgery and which left serious scars.

Celluloid was tried for a while, but it also was discarded because the results were unsatisfactory.

Use of Ivory.--The newest and for the present apparently the best substance to use for repairing defects is ivory--either natural or synthetic. Dr. Pollock pointed out that this substance is more nearly like bone in its composition than any other substance known. Both bone and cartilage are used also, but Dr. Pollock’s experience inclined him to favor ivory over either.

Obviously this work is not for the amateur, but for the experienced worker. The so-called advertising beauty doctors seldom attempt it because the conditions under which most of them work are not conducive to successful surgery. They choose rather to delude their patients with promises of rapid and easy relief that are never fulfilled.

BEWARE OF BEAUTY DOCTOR WHO OFFERS GUARANTEES

Recently there came to medical attention the case of a woman who had been the victim of the search for beauty through surgery. She was the wife of a prominent merchant in a foreign country.

When she was eight years old she was operated on for the relief of tuberculous glands in her neck. She grew up, married successfully and gave birth to a handsome son.

But in the meanwhile her life, comfortable enough otherwise, was disturbed because the scars of her operation showed when she wore evening dress.

Tours Europe.--Finally she set out upon a tour of Europe. She arrived in Paris, where she consulted several eminent surgeons, all of whom advised against operation.

Then she heard, through the press notices of the theatrical papers, that American beauty doctors were doing marvels in such cases. In this country she reached finally a beauty doctor widely heralded through paid publicity secured by publicity agents.

She was intrigued and coaxed into an operation by cleverly written pamphlets detailing the success accomplished on worn-out actresses and movie stars. She decided at last not only on an operation on her neck but also on face lifting, face peeling, wrinkle removing and similar procedures.

No Anesthetic.--These operations were carried on in the office of the beauty doctor, without an anesthetic and rather crudely in the arrangements for cleanliness. A qualified surgeon works in a qualified and reputable hospital. Advertising beauty doctors are not admitted to reputable hospitals.

The woman finally left the ministrations of the beauty doctor. She had unsightly scars, worse even than those for which she had originally consulted him.

Her skin, irritated by the caustic chemicals used to peel it, continued to give off fine scales. The lifting operations, the loss of blood, the weeks necessary for recovery in a low-grade hospital in which the beauty doctor finally placed her, left the woman nervous, melancholy--mentally a wreck.

A reputable surgeon makes no guarantees of success in plastic surgery. The disreputable beauty doctor relies on the shame of the patient and her fear of ridicule to protect him when his surgery goes wrong, as it so often does.

EITHER HAIR OR HEALTH ENDANGERED BY DYES

Ever since the first woman looked into a polished surface and decided that her appearance would be greatly benefited by certain sophisticated modifications, the feminine sex has been tampering with its natural beauty.

Among the first of the features to receive attention has been the hair, long known as “woman’s crowning glory,” and now merely an added source of income to the tonsorial artist. The first hair dyes were made from vegetable substances. Then came metallic, chemical compounds, and more recently the synthetic dyes largely derived from coal tar products.

Among the vegetable dyes, henna is the best known example, but indigo wood extracts, sage and camomile have also been popular. Hair dyed with henna is light red, but one hour will make brown hair extremely red and give to white and blond hair a quite peculiar orange color, extremely artificial and unattractive.

The wood extracts and camomile produce all sorts of peculiar colors. They are reasonably safe, but suffer from the disadvantage that the dyes are difficult to prepare and the result not especially permanent. Most of these dyes do not penetrate the hair shaft, but merely coat it so that their repeated use tends to make the hair quite brittle.

Metallic dyes include combinations of lead, silver, copper, tin, and other metals. All metallic hair dyes, according to Dr. McCafferty, who has written extensively on the subject, must be considered as potentially dangerous when used for any length of time. The material may be absorbed into the body and the person so saturated with metallic poison that he develops serious symptoms.

Most of the dye substances offered on the market and advertised in publications are combinations of henna with metallic substances. The dye action depends principally on the pyrogallol and on the metal, with just enough henna present to permit the manufacturer to use the name “henna dye.”

The most common dye used today is the synthetic drug known as paraphenylene-diamine. Many persons are especially sensitive to this drug and develop severe eruptions following its use. In certain instances, eruptions on the back of the neck and on the arms follow the wearing of fur dyed with this substance. In Germany, the dye must always be marked with a “poison” label and most European countries have followed that example.

In this country, legislatures are only beginning to consider legislation of a similar character.