The following pages have been the outgrowth of the author's own requirements, as he early became satisfied that a knowledge of the experience of the past should be the foundation on which to begin the study of the present. This conviction led to the collection of the material that forms the first part of this book. Believing that the information thus obtained would prove as useful to others as it has to himself, it is here offered in a form that will permit of ready reference. Long before the collection assumed its present bulk, the author was surprised at the number of drugs, that, on the testimony of observers, appeared to exert an influence on the skin. He did not feel warranted, however, in greatly curtailing the list, except En instances where sufficient experience appeared to throw very grave doubt on the accuracy of the recorded observations.

A correct knowledge of the drugs that affect the skin, and the ways in which they act, naturally precedes their application. It is equally necessary to know when and how to apply them. This information the author has endeavored to supply in the second portion of the work. He has deemed it expedient, also, to give a brief synopsis of the diseases themselves, in order to aid in their recognition, and to display more clearly the rationale of the treatment recommended. While he has endeavored to record the more salient features connected with the subjects discussed, much has necessarily been omitted, enough, perhaps, to fill several volumes the size of the present one. For these deficiencies he must crave the indulgence of the reader. In conclusion the author desires to acknowledge kind assistance from his friend, Dr. W. T. Alexander, and to express his thanks to his colleagues of the New York Dermatological Society, who frankly placed at his disposal their individual experiences in connection with the use of drugs in the treatment of cutaneous diseases.

H.G.P.

10 West Thirty-Fifth Street, New York, January, 1881.