Liquid Oxygen in Dermatologic Practice

Herman V. Allington, A. Fletcher Hall, and the Introduction of Liquid Nitrogen

“…Although scattered reports on the use of liquid air and liquid oxygen appeared during the following years, 10–12 they were not widely used because they were difficult to obtain and store and because of the combustibility of oxygen. It was not until World War II with the tremendous increase in industrial production that liquid nitrogen became available.…”

“…He concluded, “While the results leave much to be desired, they are sufficiently good to justify the use of this method at least in selected cases of warts until some more specific treatment becomes available.” Allington was no neophyte in the use of liquid nitrogen. In an oral comment on the presentation of Kile and Welsh, Allington stated that, “my co‐workers and I have used [liquid nitrogen] in the clinic of the Student Health Service at the of University California and in our office for more than 15 years.” 12 …”

History of Dermatologic Cryosurgery

“…However, in a discussion of the article Pusey pointed out that pressure was an advantage in that it improved the depth of the effect. In 1948 Kile and Welsh 23 wrote one of the last reports on liquid oxygen.…”

History of cryosurgery

“…Though it became readily available in the following years, liquid oxygen is hazardous in terms of fire and explosion, and it was not able to compete with the less efficient and more easily available solid carbon dioxide. In 1948, Kile and Welsh wrote one of the last reports on the use of liquid oxygen, describing good results in over 1,000 patients with a variety of non-cancerous and mucosal diseases, including warts, hemangiomas, keratoses and leukoplakia [13].…”