Page:Archives of dermatology, vol 6.djvu/73



presented two cases of

with histories as follows:

Mary J., age 26, had had the eruption on the scalp longer than she could remember, certainly since before she was 5 years old; her mother did not know how she got it. She had been treated much of the time up to six or eight years ago, when the disease was given up as incurable.

Her child, a boy now 6½ years old, began to have some eruption on the scalp two years ago, which still remained when the patient was first brought to Dr. Bulkley. This was about the middle of October, 1878, and the disease was then recognized as favus, in a very mild degree. There was almost no cupping, but mainly scales, which showed fungus abundantly under the microscope. The mother came under treatment during last of February, 1879; her treatment began at once, and had lasted just three months. The disease at first visit occupied all the front portion of the scalp, extending from the left ear almost to the right, with a breadth of about four inches on the middle. The margin, which was about half an inch from the front margin of the hair, was one mass of yellow crusts, the rest of the surface was the seat of old cicatricial tissue. The surface had been epilated fourteen times by means of adhesive sticks, a bichloride of mercury wash applied afterwards thoroughly. When exhibited, the entire surface was bereft of hair, smooth, red, and shiny. The disease was not yet cured, as the fungus could still be discovered on some of the epilated hairs.

The second case had the following history:

Martin H. McNulty, age 16, had had the disease at least nine or ten years, and cannot remember its beginning; he had been treated previously, but not very much. Came to Demilt about the middle of January, 1878, and had been under treatment regularly since. The case had been treated by hand epilation with the forceps, by Dr. Campbell, and most of the surface had been gone over six or seven times. The epilation had been performed several times weekly during most of the time since his first coming for treat-