An examination of the phenol-croton oil peel: Part III. The plastic surgeons' role

In Part II, the author focused on the lay peelers' history and success using croton oil-containing phenol peeling recipes. In Part III, the author reviews what was known or should have been known about croton oil and phenol as physicians became keenly interested in face peeling in the mid-1950s. The lay peelers recognized that croton oil was a critical ingredient of the so-called phenol peel while physicians focused on phenol without recognizing the intense cytotoxic effect of croton resin. Physicians have persisted in this systematic error for 40 years. Both dermatology and plastic surgery have shown a remarkable credulity about phenol's action and lack of curiosity about croton oil's action. A hitherto unreferenced and unknown croton oil-containing formula of Adolph Brown, patented in 1959, has been unearthed, preceding Litton's and Baker's formulas in time. The recollections of Litton, Baker, Truppman, and Georgiade shed some light on the interaction between them and the lay peelers and how the formulas were transferred. Other plastic surgeons probably acquired the same knowledge, used it in their practices, but chose not to draw attention to it. None of the physicians credited the lay peelers. Brown, Litton, and Baker each could have published a complete formula, but only Baker did. However, his formula was vastly stronger than the lay formulas but, nevertheless, came to dominate medical peeling for the next 35 years because of its simplicity of preparation. A review of the peel literature reveals many oft-repeated but unsupported dogmas regarding the mode of action of phenol, which have obscured our understanding of the phenol-croton oil peel. Animal studies exist that refute these dogmas, e.g., (1) lesser concentrations of phenol wound more deeply; and (2) phenol has an all-or-nothing action. As well, studies from the early 1980s showed that the presence of croton oil caused much deeper burns than phenol alone. Suggested areas of research that could solve the conundrum of the phenol-croton oil peel are presented.     

An examination of the phenol-croton oil peel: Part II. The lay peelers and their croton oil formulas

From the turn of the century, lay face peelers, known as "skinners," ran "beautifier" salons. Beginning in the 1920s, lay peelers were using croton oil-phenol formulas in Hollywood. These persons were renowned, made a good living, and treated many, if not most, of the leading "stars" of the day. They had a treatment, a "secret," that physicians did not. Physicians brought their own wives to the peelers for their expertise. The leading lay peel personalities from the 1920s through to our time are presented. The lay peelers dominated the field until the 1960s, when legal attacks on them, often directly instigated by the newly educated physician peelers, put them at a legal disadvantage. Nevertheless, there was considerable interaction with many plastic surgeons along the way. Some plastic surgeons came into possession of the techniques and some also into knowledge of the ingredients in a formula. The author has presented the recipes of four of the renowned lay peelers, two from Hollywood, Gradé and Kelsen, and two from Miami, Coopersmith and Maschek. These recipes all have 80 to 90 percent less croton oil than the "classic" Baker formula and, therefore, wound less deeply. The Hollywood formulas were used on many celebrities both inside and outside the film world from the 1920s to the early 1990s. These lay recipes are cumbersome to prepare. The author has simplified the preparation of these lay recipes by using USP liquid phenol instead of crystals. These simple formulas are provided in a table and are as easy to prepare as the Baker formula.     

Cardiovascular effects of the nerve growth factor: An analytical review. Part I: NGF-mediated intracellular signaling pathways

Traditionally, the nerve growth factor (NGF) is considered to be a chemoattractant participating in the regulation of cell proliferation, differentiation, and neuron myelination. However, the currently available data suggest that the physiological role of NGF in the body is much wider. The features of NGF influence on the functional activity of the cardiovascular system, signaling pathways by which activated NGF TrkA and p75^ntr receptors regulate the functional state of endothelial and vascular smooth muscle cells and cardiomyocytes are discussed. In addition, the theoretical prospects of agonists and antagonists of TrkA and p75ntr receptors for the treatment of heart and vascular disorders are considered.     

Congenital Anomalies of the Limbs: Part I. Medical Aspects

As a preparatory step towards the development of a complete habilitation program for children with congenital limb anomalies associated with maternal ingestion of thalidomide, the medical records of all patients with congenital limb anomalies referred to the Rehabilitation Institute of Montreal in the past decade were studied, and an examination and a thorough reassessment were made of 41 patients (21 males and 20 females).In this paper, Part I, the medical and prosthetic aspects are dealt with and a form of management is described for each type of anomaly. The conclusions are reached that prosthetic fitting and training should be initiated very early in life and that co-operation of the parent is essential to successful habilitation of a child with congenital limb anomalies.     

Anti-aggregatory prostanoids. Part I

Properties of several products of cyclo-oxygenation of polyunsaturated fatty acids: prostacyclin, prostaglandins 6-keto E1, E2, D2, D3 are reviewed in relation to their antiplatelet activity.     

Dissecting the Illegal Ivory Trade: An Analysis of Ivory Seizures Data

Reliable evidence of trends in the illegal ivory trade is important for informing decision making for elephants but it is difficult to obtain due to the covert nature of the trade. The Elephant Trade Information System, a global database of reported seizures of illegal ivory, holds the only extensive information on illicit trade available. However inherent biases in seizure data make it difficult to infer trends; countries differ in their ability to make and report seizures and these differences cannot be directly measured. We developed a new modelling framework to provide quantitative evidence on trends in the illegal ivory trade from seizures data. The framework used Bayesian hierarchical latent variable models to reduce bias in seizures data by identifying proxy variables that describe the variability in seizure and reporting rates between countries and over time. Models produced bias-adjusted smoothed estimates of relative trends in illegal ivory activity for raw and worked ivory in three weight classes. Activity is represented by two indicators describing the number of illegal ivory transactions – Transactions Index – and the total weight of illegal ivory transactions – Weights Index – at global, regional or national levels. Globally, activity was found to be rapidly increasing and at its highest level for 16 years, more than doubling from 2007 to 2011 and tripling from 1998 to 2011. Over 70% of the Transactions Index is from shipments of worked ivory weighing less than 10 kg and the rapid increase since 2007 is mainly due to increased consumption in China. Over 70% of the Weights Index is from shipments of raw ivory weighing at least 100 kg mainly moving from Central and East Africa to Southeast and East Asia. The results tie together recent findings on trends in poaching rates, declining populations and consumption and provide detailed evidence to inform international decision making on elephants.