In. infants tbe face or face and scalp are by far its common site. The disease may, however, occur upon any part at any age. The treatment in regional ec zema is essentially the same as the treat ment of eczema of any part, common sense suggesting selection. or avoidance which the character of the region may suggest; as, for instance, upon hairy parts, as the scalp. Ointments containing large percentages of pulverulcnt sub stances, such as the so-called acid paste, should not be employed, as they would tend to produce crusting, matting, and messiness.
Tn treating a case of infantile eczema the search for the cause should go hand in hand with the treatment, which is otherwise only palliative; carefully ex amine both child and mother. In an acute eczema of a few days' standing deeided amelioration may be obtained by calomel. Some eases are benefited by judicious use of codliver-oil and iron. The local treatment is very important for the comfort of the patient. The crusts can be removed by salicylated oil.
Washing with water should be strictly interdicted, oil being used as a substi tute. The local conditions can now lie treated very happily by Lassar's paste:— 3 Zinc. oxid., Mr. amyli, of each, 2 drachms. Petrolatum, V, ounce.
In acute eases. borie acid, 10 to 20 grains to the ounce, or in less acute cases salieylic acid, 10 grains to the ounce, may be added. Ichthyol. 5- to 10-per cent. should be added in the older eases, where the skin is thickened and scaling is excessive. In all cases the applica tion should be chang,ed two or three Linn, C‘ C1,y cuituLam wing LaKen to see that the skin is kept covered and scratching prevented. Alger (Amer. lfed.-Surg. Bull., Aug. 1. '96).
Favorable results obtained in the treatment of eczema by red solar light.
The eruptive regions, previously covered with thin silk stuff of an intense-red color, were exposed directly to the solar light as long as possible (four hours in ()fie case). In all the patients thus treated there was a rapid disappearance of the symptoms. W. Winternitz (Sem. MCA., Aug. 15, 1900).
There are two special forms of eczema which OCCUr at the change of life—and the commonest, that which comes most before practitioners, is acute eczema of the head and face. There is usually considerable flushing, sweating., and other nervous phenomena, headaches. and disturbances of the digestive tract —dyspep.-sia and constipation. A spare woman at that time of life suddenly be gins to flush in the face. perhaps after taking a meal; later the disorder be comes a little more acute; she gets an acute eczema of the scalp, and it spreads down all over her face. For that condi tion there is no drug or combination of drugs which is of such service to re lieve the symptoms, not only the eczema, but all the symptoms mentioned, as iehthyol. It van be given in tabloids covered with keratin, which does not dissolve until it gets into tbe intestine. The dose should be 2 V,. grains, to begin with, after each meal. At the end of two or three days it should be increased to grains., tnen to v, grams, anu tuen to 10 grains. If the patient tastes it much, the dose should be reduced a little.
With regard to local treatment, this form of eczema requires rather more active treatment than is needed at any other time. Such cases usually bear fairly strong applications of sulphur and resorcin.
The other form at change of life is the very acute eczema which occurs about the vulva and anus. Malcolm Morris (Lancet, May 4, 1901).