[Illustration: FIG. 94.--Ulcerated Chilblains on Fingers of a Child.]
#Chilblains.#--Chilblain or _erythema pernio_ is a vascular disturbance
resulting from the alternate action of cold and heat on the distal parts
of the body. Chilblains are met with chiefly on the fingers and toes in
children and anaemic girls. In the mild form there is a sensation of
burning and itching, the part becomes swollen, of a dusky red colour,
and the skin is tense and shiny. In more severe cases the burning and
itching are attended with pain, and the skin becomes of a violet or
wine-red colour. There is a third degree, closely approaching
frost-bite, in which the skin tends to blister and give way, leaving an
indolent raw surface popularly known as a "broken chilblain."
|