COSMETICS AND THE FUTURE 271 preventive action exercised by a cream as an infraction or intru- sion of his territory. But not only does the cream protect nerve end- ings and a multitude of blood ves- sels, but it also covers the exit of our hairs. Even the breathing is affected, as it has been calculated that one per cent of our breathing is done through the skin. It thus be- comes obvious that it is of para- mount importance to give our most careful attention to maintaining a skin condition which will allow the proper functioning of all the various organisms which will live in it and are part of our life line. Cx)smeti•s, and not drugs, can best fulfill this ntission. In the field of soaps and deter- gents, it is interesting to note that all soaps and detergents, through mechanical action, can and do pre- vent infections. Some soaps con- tain gem•icides in therapeutically effective quantities, and still they are soaps and not drugs. We surely do not want to bring cosmetics within the scope of medicinal prod- ucts. But every day we want to widen the field of their application and increase their value to the human skin. And today I would like to submit to you a suggestion for your investigation, which per- haps will help to find a sharper line of demarcation between a medicinal ointment and a cosmetic which exercises beneficial action upon the skin and body. Just a little more than one hundred years ago, Dr. Hahnemann created what is known as homeopathy, and introduced his science to the field of medicine. I have found 11 homeo- pathic hospitals, three of them bear- ing his name. Many other medical men took up his theories, elabo- rated on them, and I am inclined to think that the guild of cosmetic chemists may find it worth while to look into these theories, and find their preliminary work a source of inspiration and value to the modern cosmetic scientist. I do not want to go inlo the theory of the homeo- pathic science, if you want to use the word science at all in this con- nection. It is my understanding that the me•dical profession does not consider a homeopath a medical man, nor could his materia medica, that is, his prescriptions, be con- sidered drugs. Essentially we could say, and I am giving a liberal inter- pretation to the teachings of the homeopaths, that they prescribe the use of extremely small quanti- ties of salts, of herbs, and even of drugs, that are used in the homeo- pathic science of curing and healing. I am almost under the impression that their actual healing and curing is a combination of the nature of the human body and the faith of the human mind in homeopathy. Is it not true that cosmetics, too, exercise great beneficial influence on the human body, on the human skin, if the user has faith in them ? Is it not true that the psychological aspect of the human mind is one of the major reasons why people are using cosmetics? Today, we have an immense variety of therapeuti- cally effective drugs of the one

272 JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY OF COSMETIC CHEMISTS type, of a biotic type, of the antibiotic type, and last but not least, the hormones. Is it not pos- sible that some or most of them, when used in minute quantities, in quantities proved to be of no thera- peutic value for the many illnesses for which they are specifically de- scribed, may lend themselves to application in the creation of new and improved type of creams and toilet preparations not hitherto known, and which may exercise a beneficial effect on the human skin and on the human body about which we have not thought before, but which could not possibly bring those preparations within the scope of drugs. Their beneficial effect may well be ascribed to the faith of the user, and to nature's co-opera- tion in all psychological influences, the results of whilch are sometimes astonishing. Most of you surely remember the theories of the well- known Frenchman, Dr. CouP and almost every religion can point to cures of the sick, healing of the ills, which faith alone can explain. I do not expect the cosmetic chemist, the cosmetic industry, to get involved as deeply as the few examples I have given might indi- cate, but there is a real field, a no man's land which seems to me is open to us. There is a good pos- sibility that here will be found a line of demarcation clearly drawn between a cosmetic that contains enough of a chemical, or of chemi- cals, that have proved therapeutic action, since they are used in quan- tities as described by medical sci- ence. And there is a field in the line of cosmetics which uses amounts so small of certain chemicals which are known to have no therapeutic ac- tion, according to the standard set by the medical profession, but may have a psychological value, and may convey such a value to the user, thus making it a beneficial cosmetic preparation for the human skin and the human body. How far such theories could find practical application cannot be fore- seen. Only the future will divulge it to those who search for it. Per- haps cosmetics will then go further than.just skin deep, and will make a major contribution toward the final goal of the telefinalist, the creation of a perfect world and a perfect human being. CHICAGO SECTION NEWS THv. VIRST 1951 meeting of the Chicago Chapter was held on Tuesday, January 9th, at Henrici's Restaurant in the Merchandise Mart at 6:30 p.m., where all meetings will be held during 1951. Reports covering the December meetings held in New York by THV. SOCIETY of COSMETICS CHEMISTS and the Toilet Goods Association were rendered by Eugene Rose and Wm. H. Lien