LOSS OF IRON THROUGH THE SKIN

To the Editor:— In your editorial "Recent Studies of Iron" (page 904, March 25, 1950) you called attention to large losses of iron in the sweat as reported by Mitchell and Hamilton ( J. Biol. Chem. 178 : 345, 1949). We have recently studied the iron content of sweat obtained from 25 normal persons (Adams, Leslie and Levin: Dermal Loss of Iron, to be published, Proc. Soc. Exper. Biol. & Med. ) with special attention to cellular as against noncellular components. After centrifugation we found the supernatant to be clear and free of epithelial cells. This liquid was found to be virtually free of iron. On the other hand, opalescent, uncentrifuged sweat was found to have a high content of iron. These findings lead us to the belief that the dermal loss of iron is not a function of sweating but is the result of desquamation.