152 JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY OF COSMETIC CHEMISTS those concerned with the health professions. . With this thought as the back- ground, the speaker recommended that every cosmetic chemist should give serious consideration to a testing program to determine the effectiveness of the cosmetics with which he is concerned. Such investigations, as in the dentifrice field, can yield information of de- cided interest and importance to the consumer, health professions, cosmetic industry and the com- panies involved in the manufac- ture of the cosmetics. Using examples concerned with topical application of fluorides and penicillin dentifrices, the speaker stressed that serious con- sideration should be given to the establishment of scientifically con- trolled evaluation tests. When the results of the tests are avail- able, critical review of the data should be made and conclusions should be based on the results, methods, procedmes, and prod- ucts used. The Chicago Section does not hold meetings in May, July, and August. BRITISH SOCIETY OF COSMETIC CHEMISTS THE FOmtTH Annual Gen- eral Meeting of THE SOCIETY or COSMETIC CHEMISTS of Great Brit- ain, which is an associate of the Society of Cosmetic Chemists, U.S.A., was held at the St. Bride's Institute on Friday, June 13, 1952. Mr. W. A. Poucher was unani- mously elected as the SOCIET¾'S first honorary member. The following officers and mere- bers of council were elected for the year 1952/53. Chairman, Dr. R. H. Marriott, D.Sc., F.R.I.C. Fice- Chairman, F. V. Wells, F.C.S. Hon. Secretary, F. Hulley Hon. Treasurer, E. Polan Members of Council.' A. B. Bell, B.Sc., A.R.I.C., H. W. Hibbott, M.Sc., Ph.D., A.R.I.C., H. Holmes, A. W. Middleton, B.Sc., Ph.D., F.R.I.C., J. Pickthall, F.R.- I.C. Dr. Moynahan's Address on "Dermatolo!ly and Cosmetics" "COSMETICS AND DERMATI- TXS" was the title of a lecture deliv- ered recently by Dr. E. J. Moyna- hah, M.R.C.P., consulting dermatol- ogist to Guy's Hospital. The meet- ing was held at the St. Bride's In- stitute, London. Referring briefly to the history of cosmetics, the speaker mentioned the fact that several different types of cosmetic were described in the "Ebers Papyrus" and that many references to such preparations were to be found in the works of the al- chemists and early herbalists. The

BRITISH SOCIETY OF COSMETIC CHEMISTS 153 empirical approach had continued to dominate cosmetic art and practice, however, until comparatively recent times. A noteworthy contribution to scientific study had been made by Sulzberger and others, who began to segregate and classify the various causes of dermatitis. Very few primary irritants were used in modern cosmetics. Those that were found included permanent waving. reagents, that chemically attack the keratin and break down disulphide linkages depilatories of closely related type high concen- trations of alkali and oxidation hair dyes such as para-phenylene- diamine. Most of the relatively few cases of dermatitis provoked by cosmetic materials were due to sen- sitization. The lecturer referred to the con- siderable protection provided by the skin's horny layer (if intact) and its supernatant layer of sebum against the majority of external agents, with the exception of such keratolyt- ics as strong alkalis and acids. Dermatitis, which occurred in the lower than keratinous layers, i.e. in the living cells, varied from redness and itching to swelling, vesicle for- marion, and finally to necrosis. Oils and predominantly oily emul- sions, owing to their ability to pene- trate through the lipolds of the skin, were more likely to favor the onset of dermatitis than were aqueous solutions and mainly aqueous emul- sions, although factors other than the constitution of the vehicle had also to be considered. High pro- portions of wetting agents might lead, for example, to an undesirable concentration of active agents below the prickle cell level. Dr. Moynahan referred to typical . cases of sensitization and pointed out that primary irritants might in turn become sensitizers. With a few notable exceptions, such as the azo dyes and amine intermediate dyes, sensitizers were unfortunately difficult to classify in chemical groups, owing to lack of exact knowl- edge of the skin's response mecha- nisms. Itwasnotalwayseasy, there- fore, to predict from chemical data the tendency to irritai:e the skin of newly introduced chemicals. Skil- fully conducted patch tests .were valuable, but, however carefully chosen were the concentration of product, size of patch and site of application, such tests had their limitations. The speaker could not recommend the "prophetic patch test" technique, as sometimes ad- vocated in the U.S.A. The main danger was that repeated patch tests might actually provoke sensi- tization and allergic response. He suggested that cosmetic manufac- turers should subject new prepara- tions to a properly devised patch test on 200 subjects and that, if one positive reaction were obtained, the test should be carried out on a further 200 subjects. If the second group of subjects also showed a positive reaction of 0.5 per cent or more, then the formula of the prep- . aration should be subjected to revision. Patch tests intended to be carried out by the user, at home, were not likely to prove practical,