Intertriginous dermatitis is very fre quent in infants and young children, especially if great care is not taken to keep the genital and anal regions clean and dry. The most aggravated derma titis of the genitals, insides of the thighs, and lower part of the belly may develop in a few hours in an infant allowed to lie in a wet and dirty napkin. The pain, itching, and burning are sometimes very intense, preventing sleep and keeping the child in a state of high, nervous tension, crying and irritable.
Treatment.—In simple traumatic der matitis any soothing application will be useful. Cold cream, oxide-of-zinc oint ment, or simple vaselin are usually suffi cient to allay the inflammation. One of the best applications is hot water, ap plied for five or ten minutes several times a day. The water should not be merely warm, but as hot as can be borne without discomfort.
For intertriginous dermatit is the writer has found black-wash the best application. Applied on lint saturated with the preparation, it usually gives prompt relief from the burning and pain and controls the hyperremia. A mild calomel ointment, 1/2 drachm to the ounce of vaselin is also useful. In other cases Lassar's paste is useful. This is made as follows:— Acidi salicylici, gr. x.
Pulv. amyli, Zinci oxidi, of each, 3ij. Vaselin, M. ft. pasta.
Great care should be taken that only the finest powdered salicylic acid be used in making this and other ointments containing it. The crystallized acid Un ally proves extremely irritating to an inflamed or sensitive skin.
For the moderate grades of intertrigo or chafing, a simple dusting-powder of starch and oxide of zinc is generally sufficient, if the irritated skin be kept clean and dry. The interposition of a fold. of lint or soft linen between oppos ing surfaces of skin is an aid to the cure as well as the prevention of inter triginous dermatitis. Dermatitis Venenata.
Definition.—Inflammation of the skin produced by external irritating agents derived from the vegetable, mineral, or animal kin:Tdonis.
Records of some unrecognized forms of dermatitis venenata. Thus, a papulo vesicular eruption, accompanied by much heat and itching, may attack the bands and atms of persons employed in weed ing parsnips, or in otherwise handling them. Tbe upper part of the body of a man who had applied to his shoulder, on account of rheumatism, a mixture of hamamelis and laudanum, became cov ered with large vesicles, papules, and oozing areas. Here, no doubt, an idio syncrasy to °Orlin may have existed. The hands of a girl employed in dipping wooden toothpicks in oil of cassia, to give these a II agreeable odor, were, in a few clays after she commenced this oc cupation, inflamed, and covered with vesicles and moist areas; her face was red and blotchy-, and the lower portion of the abdomen was similarly affected, probably from contact during sleep. A
number of firemen, to whom new black cotton shirts had been issued as part of their summer uniform, became affected with a brilliant-red infiltrated erythema on those portions of their body where the shirt came in contact. Solar heat and consequent perspiration seemed to have brought out the activity of the dye. Analysis proved the pigment an aniline one. James C. White (Boston Aled. and Surg. Jour., Jan. 2S, '97).
Outbreak of 34 cases of acute. derma titis among a number of workmen wbo had just been provided with new over coats. On first wet day following the wearing of coats inflammation of the skin began to manifest itself on the back of the wrists, the only point at which the coat came in contact with the skin.
Tbe patches were slightly depressed and had the appearance of a necrosis oi the epidermis such as follows the appli cation of a strong irritant. Tactile sen sation was entirely lost in the affected areas, and the appearances were most marked in the neighborhood of existing abrasions. In three cases there was some inflammation of the arm, with en largement of the axillary glands. In fusion of the cloth from which the over coats were made yielded an acid reac tion, and was found to contain zinc chloride, which caused the skin condi tion. Taunton (Lancet, Dec. 6, '93).
There are many conmion plants that will cause dermatitis, idiosyncrasy, how ever, playing an important part. The common plants are those of the rhus group— the poison-ivy, dogwood or poison-sumach, and the poison-oak. Japanese lacquer may cause it even in handling pictures. Among the ordinary wild flowers are the butter-cup, field daisy, golden-rod, wood-anemone, clema tis, and garden-nasturtium. Among the drugs used in applications, dermatitis may be caused by tincture of arnica, balm of Gilead, hamamelis, common salt in strong solution, belladonna, and many proprietary remedies containing the es sential oils. Kerosene may cause an eruption. Glycerin, almond-oil, iodoforrn, carbolic acid, salicylic acid, quinine, sul phur, tar, and chrysarobin occasionally cause inflammation. Among substances brought into contact wall the skin on account of occupation, and which may cause a dermatitis, are strong alkalies, soaps, "pearline," "soapine," metal and shoe polishes, paint-pigments, arsenic, potassium bichromate, the various salts of mercury and even the metal, and chocolate. Animal irritants are the mos quito, flea, bed-bu,g, black fly, wasp, bee, hornet, spider, caterpillar, and jelly-fish. G. F. Harding (Boston Med. and Surg. Jour., Sept. 6, 1900).