Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1900-10-19
NEW FORM OF ITCH.
Tropical Affection That Comes from
Our New Possessions.
First Outbreak Due 10 the Return Of
Iowa soldfers--Though Very Dis
tressfng IL Is Not at All
Dangerous.

This ailment has made its appear
nnce in Iowa, and its outbreak is said
to be due to some returned soldiers,
says the New York World.
There is some doubt at present
whether it is the Cuban itch or the
Philippine variety which is known as
dhobies itch.
1t is thought by Surgeon General
Sternberg, of the United States army,
to be the Philippine kind, because the
Fifty-frst Iowa regiment recently re-
turned from the islands. On the
other hand. "a physician OF Eldora, Ia,
where a number of cases have brok-
en- out. declares that it is the Cuban
itch. In any case, they are merely
variations of the same thing. Dhobies
is the common name for it in the
east.
The outbreak of the disease has
caused a great deal of alarm in Iowa,
where it was at first mistaken by
the sufferers for smallpox. The first
symptoms of the tropical itch bear a
very alarming resemblance to that
terrible disease. Even now that it is
known to threaten no serious danger
IT is none the less very distressing and
much feared.
The most unpleasant feature about
the itch is that it is extremely con-
tagious. 1t spreads from one person
to another with great rapidity. I'm
less prompt and strong measures are
taken to check il there is no reason
why 1t should not spread to whole
city. The banker in his bank and
belle in her boudoir will be attacked
by it, and their dignity and beauty
seriously impaired.
Dhobies is extremely common
throughout southern Asia, a region
which includes the Philippine islands.
The people are engaged a large part
OF the time in scratching themselves.
an occupation which saves them from
thinking too much of their other
troubles. The Spaniards, needless to
say, have done nothing to cure n
trouble that arises chiefly from per-
sonal neglectfulness. With the ad-
vance of American civilization in the
east dhobies will doubtless fly
In Scotland an ailment of similar
appearance is due to excessive eat
ing OF oatmeal A former duke of
Argyle erected large collection of
strong posts on his estate, and the
hardy Scotchmen rub their backs
against these, exclaiming, as they do
SO; God bless the duke of Argyle" :"
Perhaps something Of this kind will
be needed in Iowa.
The medical department of the
army is receiving many reports from
the field in the Philippines and in
Cuba indicating the alarming preva-
lence of dhobies. In Cuba it Is called
the Cuban itch, and in the Philippines
1t is called the dhob;es itch and penn
phigus.
Surgeon General Sternbergs atten-
tion was called to the statement that
the Cuban itch had broken out in
Iowa, where 1t is attributed to sol
diers returning from Cuba. Gen.
Sternberg said: "l do not know
whether the itch in Iowa is or is not
the itch which is prevalent In the
tropical countries among the soldiers
s' 80 bi'iN AiNNiN Nhht tit ltCl III lOWa
was brought back not from Cuba but
from the Philippines, where the Fifty
first Iowa served and returned to this
country.
This itch is something like tinea or
ringworm. 1t is, of course very pain
full, and keeps the patient scratching
a great deal of the time. The war de-
partment has been called upon recent
ly to send ali increased lot of itch
medicines or parasiticides to the
Philippines, and in general to the
army In the tropics, We do not re-
gard the disease as at all dangerous.
1t is only exceedingly annoying"
Another medical department off,
cial said: "rhe itch of which the sol
diers complain, and which has prob
ably been introduced into Iowa, is
what is called in the orient dhobies
itch, IL prevails everywhere, from
the straits OF Malacca to Japan. It is
undoubtedly an aggravated form Of
tnea, and affects The legs and backs
OF the men, While dhobies itch is ex-
tremely annoying. there are other
kinds of tropical itch which are more
serious In character. These latter
forms are the result OF vegetable CON
tact, and In some cases of the parasite
which is called the 'jigger,' This in
sect, invisible TO the naked eve, digs
into the skin and remains there I'M
til expelled by death from the oint-
ments which we send out for the pur-
pose OF exterminating them. The de-
partment knows nothing about the
so-called Cuban itch reported in Iowa.
IT may have been imported from the
philippines by volunteers from there.
or IL may have been imported from
Cuba by others under the local name
OF Cuban itch; but the generic name
is dhobies itch. The tropical itch, un-
der the general name OF dhobies, has
numerous local names. For instance,
in Sumatra 1t is called the Sumatra
itch, in Malacca the Malacca itch, and
in Cuba the Cuban itch. But Il is not
serious. 1t is very disagreeable to the
patient, but it does not disable him
from any kind of service"
ON the Rack Porch,
Mrs. BXby-Are you sure IL was nv
husband who ordered these groceriesi
Grocer's BOY (cheerfnlly) - No
I