The terrible seaming and pitting of the face, neck and other exposed parts of the body so often consequent on bad attacks of small-pox are universally known. Reference, however, is seldom made to the total exemption of the scalp from marking of any kind, after even the severest form of this disease. It recently occurred to me, from watching a photographer using cotton-wool to shut out light in the process of ‘vignetting’ photographs, that this material, if applied to the face and neck of small-pox patients, might give a protecting influence somewhat similar to that afforded to the scalp by the hair, and thereby prevent or modify the subsequent pitting.