Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-06-22
7-Year Itch
Explanation
Is Varied
Readers Give Opinions
on Battling Disease
BY DIR. LOGAN CLENDENING

BY DIR. LOGAN CLENDENING
A LITTLE while ago in this
"A column / said that / hap
pened TO get to wondering about
the term. "seven-year itch" and
tried 10 find out what il referred
to but was unable to find ii in
the dictionary or the encyclo-
pedia or Brewers Handbook for
Readers" or other manuals of
this general kind. and / asked
my readers if any one knew
exactly what il meant.
have had a number OF re-
sponses and am very grateful 10
those who have contributed TO
the symposium.
There is, however, some diff
ference of opinion and / am not
sure 1 can say the question is
settled yet.
For instance, reader in
Asheville, n. C.. says:
81 am very much surprised to
learn you don't know what the
seven-year itch In. I have known
that since 1 was big enough to
walk.
THE seven-year itch Is n term
used when one gets too lazy to
move, too lazy TO work for
living, too lazy to take a bath or
wash his face and hands and
too lazy TO comb his own hair"
TTiIS reply is more at variance
Il than any other. Most of the
writer's say that seven-year itch
is the scabies.
Scabies is, of course. ordi-
narily called the itch and is due
TO the itch mite which gets
under the skin especially on the
delicate part Of the hands.
The only trouble with that
answer is that scabies doesn't
last seven years even If un-
treated.
Some of my readers get around
this difficulty by saying that il
is a stubborn disease and even
when treated. some spot Of the
skin becomes focus for its
continuance and spread. and in
these cases it really lasts seven
years.
Another reader says that il
is the itch due TO the chigger
which. according TO this letter.
is a small insect or flea found
in the West Indies and South
America.
The chigger is not confined to
the West Indies or to South
America by any means, how
ever. as we have plenty Of them
in Missouri.
But here again the infection
never lasts more than a few
days or weeks at the most.
A MOTHER reader says that
"A seven-year itch is due TO
chemical changes, particularly
soaps, that get on the hand and
il takes seven years to get the
chemical completely out Of the
system.
AS can be seen, what 7
stated above is true: that there
is a good deal of variation in
opinion as TO what the seven
year itch is.
Everybody claims TO know
right off the bat, but they have
so many different explanations
that il hardly seems possible
that any of them given here is
exactly and literally accurate.
My idea is that il was some
sort of an historic event like
the plaques OF Egypt and that
some people somewhere were
afflicted with 1t and it passed
into the language as an allusion.
But although / have been en-
deavoring to find an answer to
the question as hard as any,
body. 1 am still in the dark
about ii.
Maybe if we found out what
IL was, we could send il as
curse on the Japs or the Italians
and even up the score a little
bit.
QUESTIONS, ANSWERS
r. B.: Does growing girl
need the cream of the milk. or
would it be a good idea to skim
il for her?
Does she have TO eat at each
meal until she feels satisfied?
Is il wise to cut out sweets
entirely in her diet?
Answer: These questions are
asked concerning a 12-year-old
girl who is overweight and gain
ing weight.
Under these circumstances
cream and sweets can safely be
eliminated from the diet.
1t certainly is not necessary
for a person with tendency
10 overweight 10 eat until she
is satisfied
In fact. an opposite plan would
~. - A-I1e