BABY AND CHILDHOOD SKIN DISORDERS: WARTS
Warts (also called verruca) are common in children, and they frequently appear on the hands as firm white-grey areas, raised and with a rough feeling. They may be single but are more often in clusters. It is believed they are caused by the wart virus which gets into the upper skin layers making the cells multiply rapidly, so causing them to heap up. In recent years, domestic pets have been incriminated in some studies, and being licked by an infected dog or cat has been linked with their appearance. But this is still uncertain.
Flat or plane warts are small, rounded, pinkish elevations the same colour as the surrounding skin. They are common in children, especially on the face, neck and backs of the hands. They have a flat top and often occur in lines.
Plantar warts occur on the soles of the feet. They may be very painful. Their appearance differs from that of warts on other parts of the body, because of the continual pressure from walking which forces them to grow inwards rather than outwards. These are often single, but more than one may occur.
Treatment
Many warts simply vanish for no apparent reason and with no treatment. They simply come and go, maybe weeks or months later.
Even though it is believed they are virus-caused, many seem to be under mental influence and, for this reason, are amenable to psychotherapy. This can simply be carried out by parents. The method sounds bizarre, but it frequently works anH is worth a try for it costs nothing but a bit of time and effort. The child is told that you are selling the warts to the baker or to the butcher. They are covered up for a week, and every day this story is reinforced, that the warts will vanish when the covering is removed. Presto! A week later, band-aids come off, and frequently the warts have in fact gone!
Another idea is to rub the wart with a farthing. (Ever seen a farthing? Probably an old-time penny would work, too, or maybe a one cent coin.) It must be stressed regularly and forcefully and confidently to the child that the warts are becoming smaller and smaller every day, and that they will vanish. Wrapping the inside part of a banana skin against the wart and bandaging it there for many days sometimes works. The warts may be rubbed twice daily with the milk from a milk thistle. Simply covering the warts for a fortnight, and telling little Chris that they are gradually disappearing, and finally removing the covering itself is frequently successful. Nobody knows why or how these methods work, but they often do. In recent years, doctors practising medical hypnotherapy similarly gain excellent results—this is a type of suggestion with the patient in a relaxed mental state akin to daydreaming.
Local applications
Local applications may be tried if the simple methods have not worked, or if you can't be bothered with them. A profusion of items have been tried. It is worth trying one, and sticking to this rather than switching from one to the other every couple of days. This will rarely bring success.
A simple application may be prepared by the chemist. It consists of salicylic acid (3.6 parts) in alcohol (40 percent, made up to 120 parts). A small bottle of 25 millilitres is adequate. Apply this to the wart at bedtime with the end of a toothpick. Apply only to the wart and not to the surrounding skin. Let young Rob blow on it until it dries. Keep this up for a few weeks. The wart tends to go black on top, and often disappears.
If this fails, here is another one. Ask the chemist to make up 25 millilitres of: salicylic acid (4 parts), ethylaminobenzoate (0.15 parts), flexible collodion (to 15 parts). Apply this to the wart each night at bedtime in a similar manner.
A plantar wart may be very difficult. A simple application for this is podophyllin (20 per cent) in tincture benzoin co. (friar's balsam). A bottle of 25 millilitres is adequate, and some is applied each night or each secondnight. This should be washed off on the following morning.
If simple measures do not work, take your child to the family doctor, or to a skin specialist. In recent years, liquid nitrogen has been used with considerable success. This treatment is cryotherapy, medical treatment using extreme cold. Often the warts shrivel off and disappear. Some doctors use diathermy. The wart is surgically removed under local anaesthetic, and the wound cauterized to check bleeding. This is not very comfortable and may leave a scar.
Sometimes the wart is curetted (scraped) away, after it has been softened with the use of locally applied plasters. X-ray therapy was once popular on plantar warts, but this has fallen into disfavour with most doctors. The fewer X-rays a person is exposed to the better. But some well-meaning older relative might suggest this to you.
As wart tinctures are fairly potent, they must be kept well away from children who should not be allowed to apply these themselves, for burning of the skin may occur. Contamination of the eyes (from liquid being on fingers) could cause severe irritation.
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General Health
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