The knowledge of dermatoses has been largely based on morphologic descriptions and on the bacteriologic and pathologic changes involved. Since the functions of the skin are varied and do not in localized diseases necessarily affect the patient's physiologic processes to any great extent, the skin has been treated more as an autonomous organ than as an integral part of a person. In order to comprehend diseases not as isolated dysfunctions and to find underlying causes and far reaching effects of disturbances, tremendous steps have been taken to correlate the psychic and the somatic aspects of the function of the organism. Dermatologists are in an especially advantageous position for making such observations and may offer great aid in disclosing interesting and obscure connections. If they wish to become interested in this approach to certain problems, they must endeavor to understand the person, his environment, his experiences, his