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The uptake of tyrosine and leucine by brain of control and diabetic rats was examined using the Oldendorf intracarotid injection technique. The brain uptake indexes (BUI) for tyrosine and leucine were identical in diabetic and control rats when the injectate consisted of labeled amino acids in Krebs saline. When the injectate consisted of radioactive amino acids added to plasma from either normal or diabetic rats, there was a decreased BUI for tyrosine from diabetic plasma compared with that from normal plasma. This was evident in both control and diabetic rats. Fractional uptake of leucine was unchanged in all situations. Because leucine level is elevated in plasma of diabetic rats there is an absolute increase in leucine uptake in diabetes. Branched-chain amino acids, added to normal plasma in the concentrations at which they occur in diabetic plasma, inhibited the uptake of tyrosine to the same extent as diabetic plasma did. We conclude that the decreased brain uptake and decreased brain level of tyrosine in diabetes is due to the high circulating levels of branched-chain amino acids and cannot be attributed to intrinsic changes in the blood-brain transporter for large neutral amino acids or to changes in other constituents of plasma.

Extracts of psoriatic scale were compared to extracts of nonpsoriatic exfoliative scale, plantar callus, normal epidermis, and to human serum by double diffusion in gel. Preliminary studies using agar electrophoresis and immunoelectrophoresis were also reported. Antigens identical to some of those in serum were present in all the extracts of exfoliative scale. An antigen was demonstrated in psoriatic scale which was not apparent in plantar callus or normal epidermis.

THE FIRST suggestion of a Canadian Dermatological Society was made 40 years ago, when in May 1924, Dr. Omar Wilson of Ottawa hosted an informal clinical conference in Ottawa. We do not know just who attended this meeting, but it seems probable that Drs. King Smith, Trow, and Dixon of Toronto; Jaffray of Hamilton; and Burnett, Burgess, and Campbell of Montreal were all there.Two years later, in May 1926, Drs. Gordon Campbell, Omar Wilson, E. J. Trow, and W. R. Jaffray, attended the annual meeting of the Ontario Medical Association which was held in London, Ontario. According to a note in Jaffray's handwriting, "we four got together over a bottle of Old Parr and dreamed up the society." Dr. Campbell, the senior present, was elected chairman and Dr. Omar Wilson was appointed secretary, and thus the foundations of our society were laid. And it is well that we

The occurrence of a peculiar appearing eruption on the palate, consisting of distinct umbilicated papules, has promoted us to investigate a condition apparently not too well known, and one which has been called a variety of names.1-8,18 This condition is infrequently mentioned in medical literature. Of the available references the majority are from the dental literature. It would seem to be a condition sufficiently striking to alarm some observers to write about it, however briefly, at intervals of several years.Our interest being aroused by 2 advanced cases of this condition in the Montreal General Hospital Clinic (Cases 1 and 2), we proceeded to look for the condition in the mouths of pipe-smoking patients and our pipe-smoking colleagues.A preliminary investigation has disclosed evidence of stomatitis nicotina in 10 more persons, including 2 dentists and 3 physicians, 2 of whom are dermatologists ! REPORT OF CASES CASE 1.— Patient is a