Word: ringworm
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Reupholstering chairs is simple compared with reupholstering little boys. But New York City's doctors were busy on both last week. Reason: the first epidemic of scalp ringworm in the U.S.-mostly on little boys...
...ring-wormy scalp rested his head on the back of a public seat. He thereby infected many other little Queens boys who lolled back in the same seat. They infected more chairs, more little boys. Then some little Queens boys infected chair backs and friends in Manhattan, and ringworm (a fungus infection caused by Microsporon audouini) began its vicious circle. Now there are infected seats in New York City's cinemansions, barber shops, subways and busses...
...they have veritable phobias and are constantly scrubbing, using strong soaps, disinfectants, germicides and patent remedies on themselves, on their families and on all objects and utensils. . . . Once they are convinced that they are not 'unclean,' not a menace to themselves and to others, patients with superficial ringworm [athlete's foot] infections experience great psychic relief." A real cure of athlete's foot, the doctors add, often depends on eliminating the use of skin-damaging chemicals...
...Sodium thiosulphate, a drug used externally for ringworm, internally to reduce blood pressure, seems to have similar power. In Buenos Aires last year Dr. A. Buzzo saved four cyanide cases by intravenous injections of sodium thiosulphate and adrenalin...
...thallium's peculiar properties is that it causes hair to fall out. Foolish women and masquerading criminals use it as a depilatory. For a while some orphan asylums used thallium pastes and pills to bare the heads of children infected with ringworm of the scalp...