Abstract
The mucous membranes are thought to be less sensitive than the skin to eczematogenous allergens. The skin is often found extremely sensitive to minute doses of a particular allergen while the mucous membrane of the same person remains unaffected by the identical allergen. This fact is responsible for the recent attempts to desensitize sufferers from eruptions caused by poison ivy by giving them drops of the tincture or extract of poison ivy leaves or asking them to chew the leaves. The reason for this profound difference in sensitivity of the skin and mucous membranes is not known. Nor is this difference as common as it is thought to be by many. There are persons whose skin and mucous membranes are equally sensitive to an allergen. A patient demonstrating this dual sensitivity came under my care recently. The following case is an illustration of the fact that the giving of poison
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