Varicose ulcers, in cases in which operation is refused or inadvisable, or in the smaller type of ulcers in which it is deemed unnecessary, can all be cured by the application of uniform, inelastic pressure from the ankle to the knee. The difficulties heretofore encountered have been, first, to obtain an apparatus which will give this uniform support, and, second, to have one that is convenient and easily applied. For many years I have used silicate of sodium to make a clam-shell cast to fit accurately and produce uniform compression over this entire area. It is put on in antero-posterior, antero-lateral or lateral halves, and as the swelling and edema of the leg recede the edge of the cast can be cut so that the pressure or support of the vessels may not be diminished. The ulcerated area itself should be covered with a strip of gutta-percha paper or oiled