358 The Philippine Journal of Science 1915 
This final condition fortunately is unusual, for while an average 
of one new case of gangrene is treated daily in the surgical 
clinic of the colony, the gangrenous process is usually an early 
and superficial one. 
The Filipino leper differs in no way from other lepers in his 
regard for medicine. A “new medicine” is welcomed for a 
period, and treatment is regularly received; then interest lags, 
and it becomes extremely difficult to continue treatment even in 
the face of encouraging results. Partly for this reason the 
treatment of skin lesions in individual lepers in Culion has been 
changed from time to time, but mainly because of lack of im- 
provement with a given prescription. 
In the treatment of the chronic ulcerations at Culion the 
greatest difficulty has been experienced in causing epithelial 
proliferation. ‘The wounds can be kept clean with a variety of 
antiseptics, but the epithelial margins of the lesions remain 
unchanged, giving them sometimes the “punched out’ appear- 
ance of luetic ulcers. 
E. S. May,” in an article on the germicidal action of basic 
fuchsin, presents the following conclusions: 
1. From the results of my investigations with basic fuchsin, I conclude 
that I have a germicidal agent which is more powerful than phenol 
(carbolic acid) and one which has a greater diffusibility and is less toxic. 
2. From my clinical observations I conclude that I have found a ger- 
micidal agent which has a marked stimulative action on epithelial and 
granulation tissue growth. 
In a subsequent paper * on basic fuchsin in chronic leg ulcers 
May and Heidingsfeld give a preliminary report on treatment 
which, while showing satisfactory results, was incomplete 
because the unauthorized substitution of commercial fuchsin for 
the more refined fuchsin interrupted their work. 
Basic fuchsin as exhibited by May and Heidingsfeld in the 
treatment of chronic ulcers was either in 1 per cent ointment 
after the following formula: 
Fuchsin (Grtibler’s Fuchsin ftir Bakt.) 1 part 
Petrolatum 5 parts 
Anhydrous wool fat 100 parts 
or in gauze bandages saturated with 1 to 1,000 aqueous solution. 
Upon theoretical grounds, then, basic fuchsin—a germicide 
and epithelial and granulation tissue stimulant—should be a 
desirable preparation in the treatment of leprous lesions. 
* Journ. Am. Med. Assoc. (1912), 58, 1174-1176. 
‘Tbhid. (1918), 60, 1680-1682. 
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