CLINICAL STUDIES ON THE EFFECTS OF LOUSE BITES—PEDICULUS CORPORIS
1919; American Medical Association; Volume: 23; Issue: 4 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1001/archinte.1919.00090210013002
ISSN1538-3679
Autores Tópico(s)Venomous Animal Envenomation and Studies
ResumoThe previously reported observations of one of us (M.)1 indicated that a macular erythematous skin eruption, somewhat resembling that of measles or German measles, distributed over the chest, back and abdomen, may occur in a normal person who allows lice to feed on the skin of his forearm only.This eruption was accompanied by general lassitude and malaise, headaches, and peculiar pains in the calves of the legs and soles of the feet, particularly under the toes.Unfortunately the association of these symptoms with louse bites was not at first noted, hence definite data of the illness are not available. REVIEW OF LITERATUREAn examination of the literature shows that phthirus pubis may cause a rise in temperature (Payne2) due to the toxic action of its bites, while it has also been demonstrated experimently to be the cause of maculae caeruleae.Duguet3 has shown that these spots may also be produced by the inoculation of that portion of the body of the louse in which the salivary glands are located.A number of references appear in the literature to rashes caused by the bites of Pediculus corporis, but these are not similar to the rash encountered in our experiments.Prurigo, prurigo senilis, urticaria, and porrigo are grouped together by the editor of the British Medical Journal (1869) under the title Pedicularia.4More recently, Peacock (1916) refers to "louse rash" as being distressfully common among British troops,
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