THE GRAFTING OF PRESERVED AMNIOTIC MEMBRANE TO BURNED AND ULCERATED SURFACES, SUBSTITUING SKIN GRAFTS: A PRELIMINARY REPORT

The use of this tissue for grafting to denuded areas finds its justification in that it is essentially an embryonic offshoot of the skin and is histologically built up of dermal elements. It is more logical for this purpose than tissues of other animals, being "human" and, as just stated, of skin derivation and hence homologous. It also seems better than freshly cut skin-grafts, eliminating the use of the razor and anesthetic as well as the entailed secondary wound with its numerous inconveniences. Besides these advantages, should this method be found as useful to others as I have found it, there is a negative advantage of inestimable value in that there is no harm done should there be no "take." Dr. Nicholas Sabella, who cooperated with me in my early efforts to perfect this plan of treatment has been using the amniotic covering of the umbilical cord and that portion