unimportant to the inexperienced is always the key to success. In no other affections of the skin are intelligence and persistence so essential, and for the exercise of these in the daily care of the patient the physician should hold himself responsible.
On non-hairy parts ringworm and favus can be readily cured by almost any parasiticide. A ten per cent ointment of salicylic acid is an effective application, or, if the skin is very delicate, it may be better to simply moisten the patches frequently with a saturated solution of sodium hyposulphite in rosewater. But when the scalp is affected the cure is always a difficult one, and the first step is to impress upon whoever is in charge of the case the important fact that half-way measures will do little or no good. It is always advisable to shampoo the scalp thoroughly once a day, especially if the hair is short, as this gives the parasiticide application a much better chance to penetrate the hair follicles. The neglect of frequent and thorough washing of the scalp is the chief cause of the frequent therapeutic failures. When this is carefully attended to, the thorough inunction twice daily of sulphur ointment, oleate of mercury, or chrysarobin ointment (ten per cent) is certain to do good. If a cap is worn by the patient, as is advisable, it should be fastened to the head by a ribbon or strip of bandage, and not by a rubber band, on account of the serious results which might ensue from a prolonged stoppage of the circulation.
There is one remedy which is indispensable in chronic cases and of the greatest value in any case. It is epilation. It must be admitted that this is always troublesome to the physician or nurse who undertakes to carry it out, and more or less painful to the patient. But it saves time and trouble in the end. With a well-made pair of epilating forceps, which should be light and broad at the end of the blades, the short hairs can be firmly caught and quickly pulled out. It is advisable to epilate first the long hairs around the margin of a patch until a narrow white ring of healthy scalp appears. This will prevent any increase in size of the patch, and the short hairs upon the reddened, scaly surface of the patches can be pulled at leisure. As many of these will break in the process of epilation, the operation must be repeated until the patch is quite bald and begins to assume a comparatively healthy appearance. The epilation and the application of parasiticides can be carried on at the same time. When the inflammation has subsided and the scaling disappeared, and all the patches have assumed a comparatively healthy appearance, the hair may be allowed to
