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To the Editor.—
Since there is no established "cure" at present for recurrent herpes simplex, the clinician, when confronted by such a patient, must choose from a bewildering variety of therapeutic "home remedies." The only universally accepted criterion for the choice of treatment modality is that the treatment should do no harm to the patient. I wish to report a new variation on an old theme—a treatment that is simple, safe, and possibly even somewhat effective.Topical ether has long been a popular, if unproven, agent for the treatment of recurrent herpes simplex. The major drawbacks of this modality involve the difficulties and hazards of storing ether in the office environment. For the past 18 months, we have been using a new anesthetic agent, enflurane (Ethrane), as a topical treatment for recurrent herpes lesions of both genital and extragenital sites. Enflurane shares similar structural and chemical properties with ether. However,