STUDIES ON PERSPIRATION By ROBWRT BP.V* Presented September 15, 1958, International Symposium Gesellschafi Deutscher, Kosmetik Chemiker, Bonn, Germany "Count what can be counted, Measure what can be measured And what is not measurable Make it become so." Galileo 1564-1642 THE FUNCTION Of the sweat gland has already been investigated by various authors who have used several tests, the best known being that of Minor (1). Certain authors give a subjective interpretation in order to avoid the use of complicated methods. Our goal at the Dermatological Clinic of Geneva in the last ten years has been to establish methods which are not only objective but also simple, easy and rapid. In general, the more precise a method, the less easy it will be to carry out, and therefore, impossible to test a large number of individuals. It is necessary to find a median between the precision and the applicability of a method. When studying sweat secretion, the intra- and interindividual variations are relatively important, and it is not necessary to discover methods which would put into evidence differences of approximately 1 per cent. The three methods which we have elaborated are all based on the evalua- tion of colored spots, classified de visu according to standard scales. TEST FOR AXILLARY PERSPIRATION A Ping-pong ball is coated with a thin layer of Vaseline © then sprinkled with the following mixture: Bromphenol blue ..... 5% Starch .............. 40% Sodium Carbonate .... 15% Tragacanth .......... 40% * University of Geneva Hospital, Dermatological Clinic (Chairman, Prof. W. Jadassohn), Geneva, Switzerland. 7O

STUDIES ON PERSPIRATION 71 The ball thus prepared is dressed in a square-shaped piece of gauze and placed in the armpit in the same manner as a thermometer for ten minutes. The gauze is then unfolded and the size of the blue stain produced by the perspiration is evaluated (2, 5) (Fig. 1). Scores: 0 Figure 1, 2, 3.--Standard Scales, Axilla, Palm, Sole.