New Complexions for Old

Southland Times, Issue 19232, 19 December 1903, Page 2 (Supplement)

New Complexions for Old

Yet one more example of the ridiqulous lengths to which vanity and weakness may be tempted hy the blandishments of the quack appeared recently in the columns of a daily paper, in the form of an article purporting to recount the sufferings and other experiences endured by a lady who, not being satisfied with the beauty of her cctinplexion. had under, gone " tho wonderful operation of reunoving the skin ol the face " However, it appears that an altogether unaccountable attack of modesty on the part of the operator induced her at the last moment to rest satisfied with merely blistering off the epider- | mis ai(d leaving the skift behind. The method employed was as follows : — The face was lirst painted with cocaine to deaden the smart (a procedure which of itself displays the ignor|.ance of thy operator), and then smeared over with blistering fluid ■and covered with strips of plaster. As one might have imagined, the result of this so-called beautifying process was, wo are told, painful in the {.\treme, the face swelling to twice ;, its natural size, and the patient haviing to take tea from a feeding-cup, as her mouth " seemed to havo disappuarud." We fancy that no one in the possessi cm of her mental faculties would he likely, at any rate, after reading the article referred to, to present herself as a candidate for such a n operation, lint vanity is a I sVangi! leader, and therefore it may be UN well to point out, for the Ix'nft/it of those who are disposed to bo discontented with their own natural charms, that the operation o' having the face blistered all over is attended with grave dangers of erysipelas and other infectious; and, moreover, that the usual elTect of blistering is to leave the skin more pigmented than it was bt' foro.— Tho Hospital.