Because of the slowness with which ulcers of the leg heal under the usual forms of treatment, and the difficulty of keeping patients with ulcers in bed, we felt that a simple remedy should be sought which would be adaptable to the many ambulatory cases under observation; that is, some method which offered freedom from the risks and inconveniences incidental to the surgical operation. We decided to try thrombosis of the varicose veins, accompanied by the application of casts made of Unna's gelatin glue, as suggested by Dr. G. Nobl1 in 1918, and the results of our efforts are reported here.
Attempts to obliterate varicose veins by intravenous injections of irritating chemicals have been made for many years. Chassaignac,2 in 1854, used perchloride of iron, which was later discontinued because of the report of several deaths. Persulphate of iron was used by Wood,3 in 1877, who reported