Metabolic acidosis in burns.

All our tests with the Navictda sp. were negative. It was apparent, therefore, that this was not the cause of trouble but that Fragilaria striatula was suspect. This is in agreement with the report of Fraser and Lyell (1963) that an eczematous eruption in an Aberdeen fisherman was caused by Fragilaria struia. That this diatom, alone out of so many present in the sea, should have a harmful effect when concentrated is at first sight surprising. It is not exceptionally active in producing mucilage, but it does have the characteristic of being weakly silicified. Possibly some excretory or other metabolic product diffuses out from the cells. It must be borne in mind, however, that there are few occasions when large concentrations of diatoms are likely to come in contact with human skin and that there may be numbers of species which might have the effect if present in sufficient quantities. Incidentally, it may be noted that Dogger Bank itch, a hazard of trawler fishermen, first described by Bonnevie (1948) and subsequently by Newhouse (1966) and Schilling et al. (1966), was found to be due to a marine animal, Alcyonidium hirsutum or Alcyonidium gelatinosum. Since the summer of 1967 one of the men investigated has purchased an American-manufactured "Hydroslave automatic pot hauler." This device is fitted to the boat and raises the lobster pots mechanically after the marker float has been lifted, by hand, out of the water and attached to the machine. Manual hauling on the ropes is unnecessary. Our first patient has installed a small capstan in his boat to haul up the pots mechanically.