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After World War II the number of syphilis infections in Germany increased dramatically. In the Soviet-occupation zone the antisyphiliticum Neo-Salvarsan, originally produced by Farbwerke Hoechst, Frankfurt/M. was not available anymore, because there was a total supply-ban. In this awful situation the chemist Prof. Dr. Ernst Schmitz from the chemical and pharmaceutical factory VEB Fahlberg List, Magdeburg, succeeded to synthesize Arsaminol (Neo-Arsoluin), a Neo-Salvarsan-analogue, within a few months thus making possible the industrial production of this drug.

Sensitization to olive oils has not yet been reported in the German literature. A 43 year old female developed increasing eczematous reactions after treatment of her leg with a boric acid/zinc oxide preparation in an oil vehicle. When different components of this zinc oxide/oil compound were tested, olive oil proved positive. A patch testing with other vegetable oils gave negative results.

Therapy of seborrheic dermatitis depends on age (infantile, juvenile, or adult) and localisation (scalp, eyelids, chest, intertriginous areas). In order to avoid recurrences, the patient is instructed to wear suitable clothing, to reduce fat and alcohol, and to observe appropriate personal hygiene.

Following gold therapy in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis a transient rash and permanent nail dystrophy resulted. Following onycholysis of several finger and toe nails the nails showed permanent alterations in form of longitudinal streaks and were extremely thin, soft, and fragile. Intracutaneous tests with the commercial gold solution revealed an allergic reaction of the delayed type.

The events during a sclerosant injection were controlled radiographically. Vistarine forte containing 21.5% of total iodine makes the distribution of fluid clearly visible, both opacifying and sclerosing. 1 ml of air precedes the injection of 0.5 ml of sclerosant. This has shown that the "air-block", as found in the syringe, is not exactly a cushion of air separating the vessel wall from contact with the circulating blood. The air is distributed like a collar of pearls along the vein walls. These bubbles of air remain visible for a long time in the varicose convultions and this tend to hinder contact between the sclerosant and the intima of the varicose vein. As the slides show, it is a well demarcated segment of the varicose vein which comes into effective contact with the sclerosant. It is precisely this segment which subsequently becomes sclerosed. The sclerosant seeks a centripetal pathway in all positions, lying standing and sitting. The therapeutic effect is the same, and is independent of the position of the patient at the time of the injection of sclerosant.

Contact-allergy eczemas due to dichloropropiophenone. Following an exposition to p-beta-dichloropropiophenone (DCP) of less than one year nine skilled chemical plant workers were taken ill with an eczema from contact allergy, particularly badly seizing their faces, necks, hands and forearms. In all workers in question has been recognized a job connected skin disease with bodily impairment of 20 to 30%. The test concentration of DCP was determined at 0.01% (testing vehicle: oil). Nonexposed persons showed response only at 0.5% DCP concentration (50 times higher percentage!) by falling sick of an uncomplicated irritation erythema, strickly localized. With regard to the almost obligatory tendency towards sensitization there must be strict observation of the stringent measures of a labour protection, and moreover, in the future there should be established a closed system of automatic control.