Summary.—As a result of experience of staphyococcal cross‐infection in conventional dermatology wards, various changes in the design and practices of dermatology wards, have been studied.Decentralization of treatment to the patients' rooms in place of a special treatment room in the ward may have reduced the colonization of patients with hospital strains of staphylococci, but did not influence the rate of clinically manifest infections.Strict isolation of disseminators of pathogens and of patients especially prone to infection, significantly reduced the colonization rate with hospital strains of staphylococci. Isolation of patients on systemic steroid or cytostatic treatment, patients with erythroderma, extensive eczemata or extensive bullous dermatoses and heavy disseminators ofStaph. aureusor streptococci is recommen