THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CERTAIN EMOTIONAL STATES AND THE RATE OF SECRETION OF SEBUM

[摘要] The rate of secretion of sebum on the forehead was measured by removing fat from the area to be tested by cleansing with either and applying osmic acid vapors for a fixed time, following which the area was observed for 10 min. through a hand lens. Sebum stained by osmic acid appeared as black dots of varying sizes. A scale from 0-4+ to rate the quantities of sebum appearing during the test period was established. Three areas of the forehead, right, center, and left, all having approx. the same capacity to produce sebum, were tested one after the other in each subject. Most of the subjects tested were free of skin disease. Emotional reactions of each subject were correlated with the quantity of sebum secreted in the particular area of the forehead being observed at the time the reaction was occurring. Definite, marked increases in the rate of sebum secretion were associated with the affective states of fear or weeping. Relaxation, however induced, resulted in definite drops in the rate of sebum secretion.