In a preliminary study it was found that the degree of unsaturation of the serum lipids was less in a small group of infants with eczema than in a group of normal infants of similar ages.1 A possible relationship between a disturbance in the fat metabolism and the occurrence of eczema was further suggested by the following observations: (1) In certain patients with intractable eczema clinical improvement was shown when oils rich in the unsaturated fatty acids were administered internally for variable lengths of time, and (2) at the same time the iodine numbers of the serum lipids rose to essentially normal levels. It seemed advisable, therefore, to extend the study and to include other pathologic conditions to determine the degree of specificity of the relationship. The following report deals with the broader aspects of the problem.
PROCEDURE
In this investigation no attempt was made to differentiate the various