Treatment of Verrucae With Smallpox Vaccine

To the Editor:—  The article, "Treatment of Verrucae With Smallpox Vaccine" (206:117, 1968), prompts me to report on my experiences with plantar warts. In each case, the warts dried up and the base healed without surgery or other therapy after response to a strong immunological stimulus.Regrettably, the observations had to be discontinued before an entirely convincing study had been completed. Nevertheless, in view of the context of the above publication, the following notes may be of interest.

1. A woman who had dozens of warts on both feet had repeated electrocauterizations; all failed until a severe Staphylococcus aureus hemolytic infection developed.

2. A similar accidental infection occurred in a boy after electrocoagulation of a dozen large warts on one foot prior to treatment of those on the other foot. After control of the infection the warts on both feet healed within a month with no further treatment.