The Science of Therapeutics - Classical Homeopathy Online

Full text of "The Science of Therapeutics: According to the Principles of Homeopath...Page 429 of 653mulgate in this chapter, are simply our own, not those entertaineby a majority of our Colleagues, whose opinions we have not evensufficient space to refute.The itch is caused by a parasite, the acarus scabiei or sarcopteshominis. Any one who wishes to become specially acquainted withthe natural history of this animalcule, is referred to an articleGudden, in Vierordt's Archiv, 1856 ; series XIV, No. 1, from whicwe transfer the following leading points.The female full-grown acarus is from i to J of a line broad, having an ovoid shape, with wavy lines; it is provided with eightlimbs and a number of long hairs. To the bare eye it looks like a508 Diseases of the Skin.faintish-white or yellowish corpuscle. Each acams contains frcmi40 to 60 eggs which are laid seriatim and from which the youngacarus originates in about eight days. The male acarus is muchsmaller than the female, and is said to die soon after sexual converse. In the cold the acarus remains quiet, but in the warmth itmovements become very lively ; the young acarus especially showsa disposition to wander.If an acarus is placed upon the skin, it very soon commences toburrow by placing itself in a vertical position, supporting itselthe bristles projecting from the posterior part of its body. Haviperforated the hard layer of the epidermis, it lowers the posteripart of its body continuing to burrow horizontally and very soonbeginning to lay eggs. At intervals it makes an opening in thecanal towards the outside, probably to afford the young a passageto crawl out. The cuniculi of the male acarus are short, those ofthe female often one inch in length, generally with irregular curbut the young acari soon again leave the spot where they hadburied themselves, hence do not form cuniculi, but papules andvesicles. From ten days to a fortnight elapse between the timewhen the acarus first begins to burrow and when the characteristiitching is first perceived.The places preferred by the acarus, are the hands, between thefingers and on the sides, the surface of the wrists, the inner siof the extremities, the entrance to the axillae, the abdomen, theinter-gluteal space, the region around the nipples, especially thof the mammae, the penis and scrotum, and the feet around thetarsus. The acarus, however, may locate itself anywhere on thetrunk, but is never met with in the face.The cuniculi the presence of which is indispensable to establisha correct diagnosis, are most easily found on the hand, at the plindicated; they appear like fine, irregularly dotted dark streaksowing to dirt having adhered to the orifices of the cuniculi; wheas on the trunk the cuniculi have a whitish appearance. The commencement of the cuniculus is marked by single scales of theepidermis which, being detached, afford an •pening to the cuniculwhich remains uninterrupted in its further course. The end of thecuniculus is recognized by a whitish-yellow, somewhat elevatedpoint which hides the acarus. If the epidermis is carefully removat this spot by means of a needle and the needle is firmly pressehttp://www.archive.org/stream/sciencetherapeu00kafkgoog/sciencetherapeu00kafkgoog_djvu.txt