A CASE OF GONORRHŒAL KERATOSIS

W. HERBERT BROWN, H. HARGREAVES
1917 British Journal of Dermatology  
107 scabies in tbe Lancet of Febnaary 10th by Dr. Adamson. He gives tbe exact quantities used : 24 oz. of sulpbur ointment, 24 oz. of soft soap, eacb of wbicb ip divided into three applications, and the inunctions ai*e tborough and complete. Then if, in a few days, there is itching, a sedative lotion is applied. The efficient disinfection of clotbes is essential, whicb perbaps we bave tbe better opportunity of controlling in London than abroad. I have seen tbe l>est results from tbe aforesaid,
more » ... oth in private and bospital practice, and-I say it witb respect-I do not see how it can be improved ui)on. Tbe conditions at the Fmnt are .such as I am not familiar with, but I still tbink the chief part of tbe difficulty may be that tbe remedy is insufficiently and inefficiently applied. Tbe condition of tbe skin of some people is such that tbey cannot tolerate inunctions, and for tbem vapour, etc., may be advisable. The metbod I bave referred to need not occupy tbe soldier more than tbree or four days, and after tbat be will no longer l>e a carrier of infection. Lieutenant-Colonel BRUCE (in reply): Tbere are cei-tain points whicb I might have mentioned showing the effects of tbe treatment when carried out carefully among a large body of troops-e. g., I demonstrated tbe method to the cbief medical officers of tbe Soutbem Army in July last, and I bad several cabinets available, but tbe difficulty was to get patients. We could not find a single case of scabies in tbe wbole division, though tbe medical officers of units made a careful searcb for tbem. We bad to import some cases from another district for the demonstration. Again, last week I carefully superintended the examination of 40110 men before they were sent overseas, and instructed tbe medical officers to pay special attention to scabies. We found one recent case, in spite §!f tbe fact that most of tbese men bad been living in overcrowded conditions-an environment conducive to tbe spread of tbe disease. I bad not heard of the treatment being used in the Army before Captain Hodgson and I started tbe metbod in May, 191.5. The main point about tbe treatment is tbat the medical officer must give personal and careful supervision. If be leaves it to tbe orderlies tbey will become slack, and tbere will be a lot of return cases. From tbe military point of view tbe cbief advantage is tbat we get tbe men back tbe same day. and tbe treatment does not seriously interfere with tbeir duties. I supervise tbe issue of drugs to tbe division, and I know tbat no sulpbur ointment or lotion has been supplied for the treatment of scabies during tbe past eighteen montbs.
doi:10.1111/j.1365-2133.1917.tb09660.x fatcat:jgv3p3cbenhkjdcr4ujbdyjy4y