=ERYSIPELAS.=--Erysipelas is a disease caused by germs which gain entrance through some wound or abrasion in the skin or mucous membranes. Even where no wound is evident it may be taken for granted that there has been some slight abrasion of the surface, although invisible. Erysipelas cannot be communicated any distance through the air, but it is contagious in that the germs which cause it may be carried from the sick to the well by nurses, furniture, bedding, dressings, clothing, and other objects. Thus, patients with wounds, women in childbirth, and the newborn may become affected, but modern methods of surgical cleanliness have largely eliminated these forms of erysipelas, especially in hospitals, where it used to be common. Erysipelas attacks people of all ages, some persons being very susceptible and suffering frequent recurrences. The form which arises without any visible wound is seen usually on the face, and occurs most frequently in the spring. The period of development, from the time the germs enter the body until the appearance of the disease, lasts from three to seven days. Erysipelas begins with usually a severe chill (or convulsion in a baby) and fever. Vomiting, headache, and general lassitude are often present. A patch of red appears on the cheeks, bridge of nose, or about the eye or nostril, and spreads over the face. The margins of the eruption are sharply defined. Within twenty-four hours the disease is fully developed; the skin is tense, smooth, and shiny, scarlet and swollen, and feels hot, and is often covered with small blisters. The pain is more or less intense, burning or itching occurs, and there is a sensation of great tightness or tension. On the face the swelling closes the eye and may interfere with breathing through the nose. The lips, ears, and scalp are swollen, and the person may become unrecognizable in a couple of days. Erysipelas tends to spread like a drop of oil, and the borders of the inflammatory patch are well marked. It rarely spreads from the face to the chest and body, and but occasionally attacks the throat. During the height of the inflammation the temperature reaches 104 deg. F, or over. After four or five days, in most cases, erysipelas begins to subside, together with the pain and temperature, and recovery occurs with some scaling of the skin. The death rate is said to average about ten per cent in hospitals, four per cent in private practice. Headache, delirium, and stupor are common when erysipelas attacks the scalp. The appearance of the disease in other locations is similar to that described. Relapses are not uncommon, but are not so severe as the original attack. Spreading may extend over a large area, and the deeper parts may become affected, with the formation of deep abscesses and great destruction of tissue. Certain internal organs, heart, lungs, spleen, and kidneys, are occasionally involved with serious consequences. The old, the