May 1941]

CASE REPORTS: DERMATITIS VENENATA

507

EtAse 3Reports
A CASE OF RUBEOLA DURING THE

PUERPERIUM
BY Mv. LERNER
Cut Knife, Sask.
I am reporting this case of measles during the
puerperium because of its rarity and the successful treatment of this serious association.
Mrs. W.R., aged 20, para-i, grav-ii, was admitted to
the Cut Knife Municipal Hospital on October 20, 1940,
at about 4.30 p.m. She was having labour pains at 5
minute intervals, and complained of having a "cold",
and a dry hacking cough. There being a measles
epidemic in the district, she was questioned, and admitted that she was a contact and that she had not had
the disease previously.
The labour was normal and she was delivered of a
male child weighing 8 pounds. The patient and baby
were isolated.
The following morning, October 21st, on examination,
Koplik spots were seen on the buccal mucous membrane.
The patient was given 20 c.c. of her husband's blood
intramuscularly, the latter having had measles some ten
years before. The baby also received 20 c.c. of blood
from the same donor into the gluteal region. The baby
was taken off the breast and separately isolated. That
day the patient's cough became worse and her temperature rose to 1020 at 4 p.m.
On October 22nd a rash appeared, typical in type and
distribution. The patient was miserable, and the temperature climbed to 103.0 She was given, in addition
to the usual prescribed treatment, prontylin, gr. 10,
NaHCO, gr. 10, and methylene blue, gr. 1, O.H.8.
On October 23rd the raslh had appeared all over her
body, and while abundant on the upper half the spots
were scarce on her lower limbs. Her eyes were extremely
painful, but her temperature had dropped to normal.
The following day her temperature rose to but 99.4,
dropped to normal on the next, and remained there until
the day of her discharge, October 31, 1940. The rash
began to fade on October 24th and was completely gone
by the 26th.
The baby showed no signs of illness or rash and 3
weeks after birth there is no evidence of measles.

I believe that the blood injection, though

given late, modified the course of the disease in
the case of the mother and prevented it in the
baby. The prontylin no doubt prevented secondary infection from setting in.

TREATMENT FOR DERMATITIS

VENENATA
BY K. A. BAIRD

West Saint John, N.B.

Even four swallows "do not make a summer",
nor do four cases prove the value of a treatment,
but the following case histories seem to suggest
a useful line of treatment for poison ivy dermatitis, especially in view of the paucity of the

information given in any books the writer has

been able to consult.
R.H., female, aged 20.
Complaint.-Blistering on the right buttock said to
have been caused by poison ivy. She had been getting a
typical allergic reaction to something in various parts of
the body for the last two weeks since contact occurred.
Now she had a rash on one thigh which gave a burning
sensation. The patient was given 10 e.e. of 10 per cent
calcium glucono-galacto-gluconate* intravenously. The
rash on the thigh faded in a few minutes and the discomfort was relieved. She was given prescriptions for
ephedrine hydrochloride (gr. %) and calcium gluconate,
to take orally if symptoms returned. She reported later
that the condition did not return.
G.H., a male, aged about 21.
This young man was working around poison ivy four
days before and got a severe dermatitis on face, arms,
hands, legs, etc. He continued to react severely and the
rash "burned " very much at times. He was given 10 c.c.
of 10 per cent calcium glucono-galacto-gluconate intravenously. The patient fainted briefly from psychosis as
he had never "had the needle" before. He recovered
promptly from the faint and said he was relieved of the
burning sensation. The rash paled somewhat. He was
given prescriptions for calcium gluconate, ephedrine
hydrochloride tablets, and a soothing ointment. He
promised to return if not definitely better, but he did
not return.
R.W., a male, aged about 58.
Complaint.-Pain and swelling of both eyelids and
tissues, and blebs over the left side of the forehead.
History.-The fact that this man had psoriasis on his
arms and abdomen for the last ten years does not seem
to have any bearing on the present case. Eight days ago
his forehead broke out in a pimply rash. The area was
very tender. It started at the outer margin of the left
eye and extended up over his forehead. Three days later
his left eye was closed and the swelling had spread to
the right eye and down the left side of the face. The
affected area was very sore and throbbing. Eight days
after the initial lesion, the appearance was that of an
allergic reaction rather than herpes, and was still smarting and stinging, but he said he felt somewhat better.
The patient attributed his trouble to flies (which were
thick) or to some plants with which he came in contact
while working around with weeds. He was admitted to
hospital. His temperature was 1010 on the evening of
the day of admission, but otherwise remained within
normal limits. He was given calcium intravenously on
three consecutive days as well as calcium lactate (gr.
10 t.i.d.). The condition rapidly improved, the swelling
subsided, and the rash dried and disappeared in three
or four days.
G.A., a druggist, came to the office with an acute
dermatitis on both hands and forehead. His arms and
hands were noticeably swollen, and he said that they felt
tight when his fingers were flexed. He attributed the
condition to exposure to poison ivy four days before. He
had been treating the area himself by frequent applications of Dakin's solution and tincture of iron. He was
given 10 c.c. of calcium glucono-galacto-gluconate intravenously. Within a few minutes he reported that his
hands felt less swollen. He was advised to take calcium
gluconate by mouth, and he was to take % gr. of
ephedrine if any severe symptoms developed. The condition continued to improve rapidly, the red rash fading
and the swelling being reduced. Within two or three
days the patient considered himself cured.
* Calcium glucono-galacto-gluconate "Calcium Sandoz " is the new formula prepared by Sandoz Laboratories.