WART, an elevation on the skin, usually a collection of lengthened papilla, closely adher ent and ensheathed by a thick covering of hard dry cuticle. From fnction and exposure to the air the surface presents a horny texture and is rounded off into a small button-like shape. Simple warts are commonly seen on the hands and fingers (rarely on the face or elsewhere) of persons of all ages, but especially of chil dren. Among other varieties of warts are (1) the verruca digitata, more elongated in shape and less protected by cuticle than the common wart and which is apt to occur on the scalp, especially in persons of adult age and sometimes occasions great annoyance in brushing and comb ing the hair; (2) subungual warts, generally erf syphilitic origin, growing, as their specific name implies, beneath or at the side of the finger or toe nail and which originate beneath the nail, as they increase crop out either at the free extremity or the side of the nail and are usually troublesome, often very painful; (3) venereal warts, caused by the direct irritation. of the discharges of gonorrhoea or syphilis and occurring about the parts which are liable to be polluted with such discharges. These last at tain a larger size and are more fleshy and vas cular than other warts. It is supposed that
warts are always due to some local irritation. Venereal warts are certainly contagious; with regard to others, nothing can be said positively oa this point. In consequence of the capricious way us which warts often undergo spontaneous cure, there are numerous popular °charms)) for their removal. Common warts are so apt to disappear that they may be often left to them selves. If it is desired to remove them, glacial acetic acid mav be applied with a camel's hair pencil till the wart is pretty well sodden, care being taken not to blister the neighboring skin. One or at most two applications will usually be sufficient. Nitrate of cilvcr and tincture of iron are popular and general applications. Salicylic acid in collodion is also very effective and so is common concentrated lye. Small warts hang ing by a neck may often be very simply removed, by the tight application of an elastic ligature to the base. The wart usually shrivels up and falls off within a week. Electrocautery is sometimes successfully employed. The other varieties must be left to the surgeon.