LXXXIX.—A HISTOCHEMICAL STUDY OF NEURODERMATITIS

Abstract

Chronic disseminated neurodermatitis is generally admitted by most dermatologic writers to be a definite clinical entity. The cause is unknown. It is labeled by some "atopic dermatitis," implying that the disease is allergic in nature. However, the mechanism of the production of this disease is still unknown, even if an allergic causation is assumed, since allergy itself is not entirely understood. From a therapeutic standpoint, neurodermatitis is peculiarly resistant even to an allergic regimen that usually produces results in such allergic diseases as hay fever and asthma. It seemed to us, therefore, that an entirely different approach to the study of this disease might be indicated. Little is known about the mineral content of the skin, either in health or in disease. Electrolytes certainly play a part in the phenomena of osmosis and of surface tension. These and other powerful interacting physical forces probably enter into the production of the