diff --git a/Doc/perl/python.perl b/Doc/perl/python.perl
index 020f31e5866..883bd3ec95a 100644
--- a/Doc/perl/python.perl
+++ b/Doc/perl/python.perl
@@ -101,14 +101,6 @@ sub use_wrappers{
     return $before . $stuff . $after . $_;
 }
 
-sub use_env_wrappers{
-    local($_,$before,$after,$tag) = @_;
-    push(@open_tags,$tag);
-    my $s = join('', $before,
-		 translate_commands(next_argument()), $after, $_);
-    return $s;
-}
-
 sub use_sans_serif{
     return use_wrappers(@_[0], '<font face="sans-serif">', '</font>');
 }
@@ -128,7 +120,7 @@ sub do_cmd_optional{
 
 sub do_cmd_pytype{ return @_[0]; }
 sub do_cmd_makevar{ return @_[0]; }
-sub do_cmd_code{ return use_env_wrappers(@_[0], '<tt>', '</tt>', 'tt'); }
+sub do_cmd_code{ return use_wrappers(@_[0], '<tt>', '</tt>'); }
 sub do_cmd_module{ return do_cmd_code(@_); }
 sub do_cmd_keyword{ return do_cmd_code(@_); }
 sub do_cmd_exception{ return do_cmd_code(@_); }
@@ -145,19 +137,11 @@ sub do_cmd_character{ return do_cmd_samp(@_); }
 sub do_cmd_program{ return do_cmd_strong(@_); }
 sub do_cmd_email{ return use_sans_serif(@_); }
 sub do_cmd_mimetype{ return use_sans_serif(@_); }
-sub do_cmd_var{
-    local($_, *open_args) = @_;
-    my $prevtag = $open_args[(scalar @open_args) - 1];
-    if ($prevtag eq "code" || $prevtag eq "tt") {
-	# in code of some sort....
-	my $text = next_argument();
-	return "</$prevtag><i>$text</i><$prevtag>$_";
-    }
-    return use_italics(@_); }
+sub do_cmd_var{ return use_wrappers(@_[0], "<i>", "</i>"); }
 sub do_cmd_dfn{ return use_italics(@_); }	# make an index entry?
 sub do_cmd_emph{ return use_italics(@_); }
 sub do_cmd_file{ return use_wrappers(@_[0], '"<tt>', '</tt>"'); }
-sub do_cmd_samp{ return use_env_wrappers(@_[0], '"<tt>', '</tt>"', 'tt'); }
+sub do_cmd_samp{ return use_wrappers(@_[0], '"<tt>', '</tt>"'); }
 sub do_cmd_kbd{ return use_wrappers(@_[0], '<kbd>', '</kbd>'); }
 sub do_cmd_strong{ return use_wrappers(@_[0], '<b>', '</b>'); }