Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of penicillin was estimated for 25 strains of N. gonorrhoeae, isolated over a period of 10 months (September 1983 June 1984). In 16 d be strains, the MIC of penicillin ranged between 0.01ug/ml and 0.63 ug/ml and all were negative for penicillinase production. In 9 strains, the MIC was 1.25 ug/ml, and 5 of these strains produced penicillinase. Of these 5 penicillinase producing strains, 4 had MIC10 ug/ml and in one it was 2.5 ug/ml.

Twenty five thousand and fifty employees working in 10 industrial units around Delhi were surveyed between July, 1982 and September, 1983. The industrial units included factories manufacturing tractors, rotating machines, gaskets, leaf spring, footwear, antibiotics and dashboard instruments; units printing cotton and synthetic cloth and books and periodicals; and a copper mine. The chief industrial dermatoses encountered were callositis 108 cases, contact dermatitis 36 cases, traumatic nail dystrophy 14 cases, frictional dermatitis of finger,7tips 10 cases, oil acne 10 cases, stasis dermatitis 3 cases, traumatic leucoderma 2 cases and keloid 2 cases. A total of 146 cases had industrial dermatoses, while 1085 had non- occupational skin disorders. The over-all incidence of occupational dermatoses in these industries was considerably low.

An instrument named Dermographism-Testing-and-Grading device was used for grading the response of patients having demographic urticaria, in comparison with controls. This device is capable of stroking the skin with, four different grades of pressure. The pressures used were such that none of the 250 controls (including.50 normal suliects, 100 patients having non-allergic skin diseases, 50 patients having non-urticarial allergic diseases and 50 patients having non-demographic urticaria), showed demographist with even the maximum pressure employed, while all the 25 patient, having demographic urticaria developed dermographism. Depending upon the minimum pressure re4uired, to elicit dermographism in these patients the severity of dermoloaphism could be graded as grade I in 8 patients, grade.11 in 6 and grade IV in 11 patients. None of the patients in " group showed grade III dermograph.ism. The dermographic grade varied at different body sites and local applications of oil, talcum powder and even tap water lowered the dermographic grade.

A survey for scabies was conducted in 14 primary-and 2 high schools of one rural block of Dakshina Kannada district on the west coast of Karnatak from November 1982 to March 1983. A total of 5,128 (84.9%) out of the 6,041 registered children were examined. Prevalence of scabies among children aged 6 to 15 years was 8.2%, prevalence was higher among boys than girls; higher among children of backward communities than those of other communities- and higher among Muslims than among Hindus. History of another case of scabies at home was found in 37.37o of the cases.Secondary pyoderma was observed in 16.59'o of the, cases. Distribution of Lesions conformed to the pattern described in other studies. Results of follow-up after 3-5 weeks of treatment with 25% benzyl benzoate are also reported.

A total of 2306 patients were examined for ' the clinical evidence of tinea pedis. Only 52 of these were found to suffer from this condition. Trichophyton rubrum was the commonest (47.6%) isolate and it produced predominantly non-inflammatory scaly lesions. T mentagrophytes was the next commonest (21.4%) agent: it was responsible for most of the macerated lesions.

A case of primary osteoma cutis seen in a 15-month-old female child is reported.

A young male having a creeping eruption on the glans penis is reported.

A case of multiple, painful neurilemomas located over the right forearm and hand with severe in I wasting is presented.

A case of lepromatous leprosy having lesions of subcorneal pustular dermatosis is reported. This association supports the gypothesis that immunological factors are involved in the pathogenesis of SCPD.

Two devices, designed for grading the loss of sensations of touch and pain were employed for studying 8 leprosy patients having anaesthetic patches. Approximately 4-6 weeks after specific treatment grading of the sensory loss was repeated. In 7 patients, a decrease of the grade indicated recovery of the sensations while in the eighth patient, the grades for both the sensations remained the same.

To prevent deformities in the leprosy patients caused by burns, an attempt has been made to improve perception of the temperature sensation in the hypoaesthetic skin areas. The sensory loss in each lesion was first graded by determining the minimum temperature felt as hot (MTH) at the affected skin area in comparison with the MTH at the corresponding unaffected skin area by meana of a specially designed device named temperature- sensation testing and grading device. An intradermal injection containing 3.2 ug of histamine acid phosphate at the centre of the lesion led to a decrease in the MTH by 3 to goc in 8 out of 12 patients including one who had a complete loss earlier. This decrease in the MTH was maintained for 15 minutes in 6 patients. A repeat study in 10 of these patients gave similar findings. In another 40 patients, a' histamine-DMSO solution prepared by mixing I mg histamine acid phosphate with 1 ml of DMSO applied at the centre of the leprosy lesion led to a decrease in the value of MTH by 1-lfC in 14, including 3 patients who could not perceive even 500C as hot before the application. Fifteen minutes after the application, only 3 of these patients had a decreased value of MTH. Repetition of the experiment in 18 of these patients revealed similar results.

Lengerhans cells (LC) were defined by indirect immunoperoxidast using OKT6 monoclonal antibody m the skin lesions of 10 untreated psoriasis patients. The distribution and the numbers of OKT6 + epidermal LC in the lesions was low in comparison to that found in the normal skin. In some of the lesions, T6 + LC could not be seen in the epidermis. This observation suggests that the reduction in LC may be a contributing factor in the pathogenesis of psoriasis.

In eight patients having extensive psoriasis, treated with hemodialysis, serum levels of LH, FSH, testosterone, T3, T4, ISH prolactin, insulin and cortisol were estimated before and after clinical imprmement. No differences were observd in hormone levels before and after diabmis. Serum prolaction lewis which were high to begin with remained so even after dialysis although the value had decreased slightly.