Wednesday, August 27, 2008    What is erysipelas?  Erysipelas is
an acute specific inflammation of the skin and subcutaneous
tissue, commonly of the face, characterized by shining redness,
swelling, œdema, heat, and a tendency in some cases to vesicle-
and bleb-formation, and accompanied by more or less febrile
disturbance.  Describe the symptoms and course of erysipelas.  A
decided rigor or a feeling of chilliness followed by febrile
action usually ushers in the cutaneous disturbance. The skin at
a certain point or part, commonly where there is a lesion of
continuity, becomes bright red and swollen; this spreads by
peripheral extension, and in the course of several hours
involves a portion or the whole region. The parts are shining
red, swollen, of an elevated temperature, and sharply defined
against the sound skin. After several days or a week, during
which time there is usually continued mild or severe febrile
action, the process begins to subside, and is followed by
epidermic desquamation.  In some cases