“…The fact that these authors found that concentrations of 2-12% of SA exerted no activity what ever (apparently not even an irritant effect) when applied in a cream formula tion, yet did display a dose-related effect when applied in an ointment for mulation, is to a certain extent at variance with our present-day knowledge of the (topical) pharmaceutics and dermatopharmacology of SA [3,5,6,9], providing, of course, that the cream base was, in fact, chemically compatible with SA and suitably formulated to ensure its release. Unfortunately, M arks et al [4] also omitted to make independent determinations, in a group large enough to afford statistically credible results, of the intrinsic epidermopoietic effect of the skin massage inevitably associated with any inunction [10,13,17], and that of the cream and ointment bases themselves [13,17] in exactly the same areas of the skin.…”