Treatment of skin lesions

The method of cleansing, in patients in need of such cleansing, wounds and skin lesions or ulcers which comprises applying directly thereto in the absence of added organic liquid vehicle an effective amount of dry solid particles from 0.1 to 0.5 mm in diameter of a cross-linked water-insoluble polymer having the following polymer units ##STR4## in which R is hydrogen, methyl or ethyl and R.sub.1 is hydrogen, alkyl having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, or phenyl, said polymer being cross-linked with N,N'-methylene-bis-acrylamide or N,N'-diallyltartardiamide or N,N'-dihydroxyethylene-bis-acrylamide, the molar ratio of said polymer units to cross-linking agent being from 10:l to 50:1, and

• maintaining said particles in place to absorb serum or pus.