The record-union., 1897-05-20
PARASITES IN THE SKIN.
Improvement on the Oid-Fashioned
Treatment of Scabies.

mere IS an entire series OF cOIpldiiisS
of the skin caused by the presence or
parasites on the surface of the BODY
These parasites, which may belong 10
the animal or vegetable kingdom. i've
at the expense of the tissues and de-
velop on the surface or in the substance
proper of the skin. The different Vari-
cites of tinea are caused by the devel-
opment of vegetable parasites, or
molds; scabies. on the other hand, is
due to the penetration into the SUBJ
stance of the skin of an animal parasite
called the sarcoptes.
The presence of this parasite is the
sole cause of scabies, and the complaint
appears in individuals beneath whose
epidermis this parasite has dug pass
age. The disorder is due to contagion
and contagion only, and although 1t IS
more commonly observed among dirty
people, the poor, who are more or less
exposed to the causes of contagion by
the promiscuous way they live, it must
not be forgotten that the itch may ap-
pear on persons who are tmost careful
of themselves, but who may have been
forced to pass a night in a hotel which
was not well kept or that was fire.
no one can be said to be beyond the
reach of the itch, as a simple sheet
that has been slept in by a person hav-
ing the complaint and that has not
been changed is all that is necessary
to convey the disorder.
The parasite of the itch is a small
insect, scarcely visible to the naked
eye. The body is symmetrical, convex
on the top and fiat beneath and about
half as thick as it is broad 1t has been
very justly compared in appearance to
a turtle It's usual color is gray but
in certain cases it may appear pink;
in others still. as in the male insect.
for instance, it has a reddish tint The
female is almost twice as large as the
male. and is the one that is more COM
monty found. 1t digs passage by 60
ing perpendicularly through the epi-
dermis. and once it has penetrated be-
meath this layer it forms a gallery in
which it lays it's eggs. The latter are
usually dozen in number. and when
they have been laid the female dies,
the eggs coming to maturity in eight or
ten days
Scabies begins to show itself about a
week after contagion by localized itch
ing. The presence of one of the char
acteristic galleries is sufficient to con-
firm the diagnosis; they should, there
fore, always be looked for with great
care when the complaint is suspected.
They are, however, not always easy to
find, as at the beginning typical CALLER
les do not exist, the parasite requiring
certain time to form them; on the
N-hp hn hos
running long enough for the galleries to
exist, they are generally torn by the
scratching TO which the patients are
driven. 1t is, therefore. difficult to find
them; still even in chronic case frag-
ments can be discovered by careful and
sufficiently minute attention. With a
little skill a needle can be inserted
into the gallery and the parasite ex-
tracted.
When the diagnosis is once made
scabies can be rapidly cured by apply
ing the well-known treatment of sui
phur frictions This method is divided
into three parts: During the first half
hour the patient is rubbed all over with
soft soap; the second half hour is given
up to a bath, in which the soft soap
rubbing is continued: finally, on leav-
ing the bath, an alkaline sulphur salve
is applied, to be left in place until the
following day. This treatment. how
ever. can hardly be applied to grown
persons, when there is much infam-
nation Of the skin, with eczema,
lymphangitis or boils and in children
it may produce great irritation
For these reasons the sulphur fric-
tions are being gradually abandoned
in favor of simple applications of bal
sam Of Peru. Whereas the parasite of
scabies can resist hot or cold water for
ten days. soft soap for three or four
hours. and sulphur vapors for sixteen
hours, it succumbs, as we'll as its eggs,
in twenty TO thirty minutes in contact
with balsam of Peru. 1t is probable
that the volatile oil or cinnameine.
which is the essential part of the bal
sam Of Peru, kills the sarcoptes by
asphyxia.
The application of the treatement is
most simple. No previous soaping is
required. the fatty substances of. the
skin helping the action Of the remedy.
A slight amount of the balsam should
be rubbed all over the skin, the agent
penetrating the galleries easily owing
" rs NOidbilf piopSilASS, w itIlOut tHEiI
having to be opened, as is done during
the friction process. a bath can then
be given for purposes of cleanliness.
For greater efficacy the applicat ton can
be made al night and the bath given
the following morning, the patient be-
ing left for the night in an agreea BILE
atmosphere very similar to that of ben
Zoin. This condition. however. is not
absolutely Indispensable When the
case is an inveterate one there is no
objection to prolonging the action of
this remedy, as it does not irritate and
is we'll tolerated
II will have been seen that this
means is a very simple one. which will
be found perfectly efficacious and
rapid. The application. owing TO its
pleasant odor, is rather agreeable to
the patient than otherwise.
Parents who yield to the requests Of
their children. or of the persons in
whose care they are placed are verv
unwise in authorizing walks through
fairs and participate in the amuse-
ments there provided NJ. Gilbert of
Moulins claims that the merrv-go-
rounds, which appear to be such an in
nocent form of amusement. are. on the
contrary. most Objectionable
He took the trouble to watch the eli
entele of these establishments and was
struck with the number of very small