The foregoing study reveals the following pertinent facts: 1. 1. Gram-negative pathogens are by no means the most frequent contaminants met with in fresh trauma (twenty-six cases in over 250) or in surgical infections (twenty-eight cases in over 300). 2. 2. When present they are most often found in lower extremity lesions. 3. 3. In both fresh trauma and surgical infections these organisms tend to persist even though their presence rarely causes delay in healing. 4. 4. In fresh trauma despite their persistence, these organisms show almost no tendency toward invasive infection when sound wound management is applied and circulation is adequate. Consequently, delayed, revision surgery and skin grafting may be done with relative impunity. 5. 5. In pre-existing surgical infections with gram-negative pathogens, revision grafting or surgery is almost equally immune when local and general physiologic conditions are satisfactory, even though contamination be gross. 6. 6. The corollary to this statement is that adequate blood supply and all other physiologic conditions should be zealously protected in every wound or surgical infection. 7. 7. These physiologic conditions are well maintained locally as indicated 3 by some form of occlusive compression dressings infrequently changed. The authors believe strongly in the rôle played by these dressings in wound healing. Maintenance of the general physiologic condition requires no comment here. 8. 8. No evidence has been adduced clinically in trauma that symbiotic influence as between gram-negative and gram-positive pathogens exists. 9. 9. Such bacteriostatics and antibiotics as we have used topically with the technic described, including sulfathiazole, penicillin and streptomycin in cream bases, have regularly failed to eliminate gram-negative pathogens in fifty-four cases of fresh trauma and surgical infections. 10. 10. Streptomycin in a cream base has quickly and regularly caused “fast” organisms in four instances. 11. 11. Contrary to these results the authors have been greatly encouraged in this work by these more recent experiences with streptomycin when used in certain gram-negative infections with specific technics and have cited certain of these experiences. 12. 12. When invasion by gram-negative organisms does occur, intramuscular streptomycin has given very encouraging results in the few instances so far observed. 13. 13. We have seen an apparent synergistic effect between penicillin and streptomycin in one instance.