Page:Collier's New Encyclopedia v. 03.djvu/529

LEFT EDDY 465 EDDYSTONE in some cases intolerably severe, but in the acute stage is often replaced by a burning sensation; it may precede any visible sign of the disease, and may per- sist after the skin has resumed its nat- ural appearance. The scratching which it occasions always aggravates the dis- ease, and is often very difficult to pre- vent. Except in extensive acute attacks, there is no fever and very little consti- tutional disturbance. The disease is not contagious. When cured it leaves no scar. Causes of Eczemu. — In many cases it is very difficult, perhaps impossible, to assign a definite cause for an attack. Generally speaking, however, the con- stitutional or predisposing cause is some defect in the digestion or assimilation of the food; strumous and gouty individ- uals are particularly subject to the dis- ease. The local or exciting cause may be anything whatever which irritates the skin. Treatment. — There is no specific for eczema; different cases and different stages of the disease require widely dif- ferent management, and each must be considered and treated on its own merits. The diet must be nutritious, but as simple and unirritating as possible; di- gestion may require aid from medicines; the bowels should be regularly evacuated, by aperients if necessary; a gouty or strumous tendency if present must be counteracted. The use of soap on the part affected must be discontinued, and strained oatmeal gruel, or rice water, or white of egg with boiled water, used for cleansing purposes, but even these as seldom as possible. Thorough removal of scales and crusts by these means, or by oil, or simple bread poultices, is the necessary preliminary to satisfactory local treatment. In the acute stage, where the swelling is great or the dis- charge profuse, a sedative lotion applied on rags or lint and kept moist by a waterproof covering, is generally most useful — e.g., thin starch or gruel, with a teaspoonful of boracic acid to the pint, soft water with a similar proportion of baking-soda, or dilute lead lotion. In the later stages, when the skin is moist, soothing ointments are preferable — e.g., zinc ointments, zinc and boracic oint- ments mixed in equal parts, or cold cream. The ointment should be evenly spread on linen rag, and kept in close contact with the affected skin. EDDY, MARY BAKER GLOVER, an American reformer; born in Bow, N. H.; received a public school education, and was connected with the Congregational Church till 1866, when she discovered what are known as the principles of Christian Science. In 1867 she began to teach them, and in 1879 founded the Church of Christ (Christian Scientist) in Boston, Mass. In 1881 she was or- dained to the ministry; in the same year established the Massachusetts Metaphys- ical College in Boston; and in 1883 started the "Christian Science Journal." She is the author of "Science and Health, With Key to the Scriptures" (the Chris- tian Science text -book) ; and numerous other works. She died Dec. 3, 1910. See Christian Science. EDDY, SPENCER, an American dip- lomat, born in Chicago, 111., in 1874. He graduated from Harvard University in 1896. He took post-graduate studies in Germany. In 1897-1898 he acted as private secretary of the late John Hay, while the latter was ambassador to Great Britain. In 1899 he was appointed 3d secretary of the American Embassy at London. He served successively in the embassies of Paris, Constantinople, St. Petersburg, and Berlin. In 1908-1909 he was Minister to Argentina, and in 1909 was Minister to Rumania, Serbia, and Bulgaria. He resigned to enter the Naval Reserve as lieutenant-commander, and during the World War was engaged in active service. EDDYSTONE, a group of gneiss rocks, daily submerged by the tide, in the English Channel, 9 miles off the Cornish coast, and 14 S. S. W. of Ply- mouth Breakwater. The rocks lie in lat. 50" 10' 54" N., and long. 4° 15' 53" W., and have 12 to 150 fathoms water around. The frequent shipwrecks on these rocks led to the erection of a light- house on them by Winstanley in 1696- 1700. It was a wooden polygon, 100 feet high, with a stone base; but the gi-eat storm of Nov. 20, 1703, completely washed away this primitive structure. Another lighthouse, built in 1706-1709, also of wood, with a stone base, and 92 feet high was burned in 1755. The next was constructed by Smeaton in 1757-1759. It was built of blocks, generally one to two tons weight, of Portland oolite, in- cased in granite. The granite was dove- tailed into the solid rock, and each block into its neighbors. The tower, 85 feet high, had a diameter of 26 ?i feet at the base, and 15 feet at the top. The light, 72 feet above the water, was visible at a distance of 13 miles. As the rock or which this tower was built became un- dermined and greatly weakened by the action of the waves, the foundation of another was laid on a different part of the reef in 1879. The new lighthouse, completed in 1882 by Sir James N. Doug- lass, is, like its predecessor, ingeniously dovetailed throughout. Its dioptric ap- paratus gives, at an elevation of 133 feet.