Intertrigo, Sweat Rash
Reddened, wet and itching skin under large breasts and in the skin folds of obese abdomens is called intertrigo. The skin may be macerated, cracked and have erosions appearing as though sand-papered, and boil-like eruptions may appear.
This irritation, when coupled with a fungus infection in the groin region, is known as jock strap itch, or dhobie itch, and is technically named tinea-cruris. When it exists between the toes, combined with another fungus, the result is called athlete’s foot, or dermatophytosis.
All of these particular skin conditions exist because of trapped perspiration which macerates the skin and provides an ideal breeding ground for fungi and infection producing bacteria. Simple prevention of these intertrigo like skin difficulties, consists primarily of cleanliness with ordinary soap and water and exposure to air. It is only when cleanliness is avoided and the air shut out from the enfolding skin, that these disagreeable skin infections and irritations can persist.
Warts
Warts are most common in childhood, but they may persist after the age of fifty. They are non-cancerous, caused by viruses and are thought to be mildly contagious. Warts may occur anywhere on the body, but are most often seen on the fingers, the face and occasionally the sole of the foot where, as plantar warts, they cause considerable difficulty. Essentially the same as warts in other areas, plantar warts are quite painful because of the pressure put on the sole of the foot. Warts may disappear by themselves after several years, but active removal is usually required, with the size, position and duration of the wart dictating to the physician the manner of its removal.
One interesting fact about treatment of warts is hypnotism, which is sometimes very effective. While it is known that many warts disappear after genuine x-ray therapy, it is also true that many of them will disappear with only imagined x-ray therapy, x-ray treatment given with a machine that is not even turned on. Mind over matter in this treatment of warts is but one phase of this mysterious, relatively untouched field of medicine. At present, small scale exploration in the realm of hypnotism has produced some interesting results. They point to a possibly new medical tool, perhaps to be used more extensively in the future.