A CRITICAL scrutiny of a large group of patients afflicted with occupational eczema is bound to reveal striking differences in their clinical picture. Features of contact allergic eczematous dermatitis can be readily recognized in a certain percentage of cases by the diffuse involvement of the dorsa of the hands, the presence of chemical id reactions on the flexor surface of the wrists and antecubital fossae, and the frequency of dermatitis of the face and/or swelling of the eyelids. In contrast to this picture is the appearance of the eczema in persons engaged in "wet work" or exposed to soap and cleansing agents, exhibiting a strongly alkaline reaction. Here we find that eczematous lesions appear in a patchy distribution on the hands and forearms and are not accompanied by id reactions unless there is a superimposed contact dermatitis, usually due to previous topical applications, or there is the additional factor of