Complications of nephrosis have been described since early in the history of the disease. This report deals only with clinical observations on and attempts at treatment of two of these complications, the peritoneal syndrome and erysipelas-like lesions of the skin.
The association of pneumococcic peritonitis with nephrosis was first recorded by Volhard and Fahr,1 in 1914, when they reported 3 such cases. Volhard2 added 3 more case reports in 1918. Munk3 also reported a case in 1918. Bock and Mayer4 described another in 1920, and thereafter the reports became more frequent. Mortality rates were not discussed in these earlier reports, but practically all cases of peritonitis were described from postmortem rather than from clinical observations. Stewart5 in 1930 collected from the literature case reports of 23 patients, 21 of whom died. In all cases the diagnosis was proved by culture. He added case reports of