306 HOUSEHOLD INSECTS 



The Norway itch. — The so-called Norway itch is a curi- 

 ous form of itch disease first found iu Norway but now known 

 to occur in Austria, France, Denmark, Russia, Turkey, 

 and the United States. It affects the palms of the hands, 

 soles of the feet, knees and wrists especially, although 

 in aggravated cases it may spread over the whole body. 



At least one case has been found in this country and 

 likely others will occur. Robert Hessler of Indianapolis 

 gave a description of this case which occurred at the City 

 Hospital. The body of the patient, who was a white 

 man partly paralyzed, was covered with thick yellowish- 

 white, leathery scales, the largest of which measured over 

 an inch in diameter and over one-tenth of an inch in thick- 

 ness. In and beneath these large scales there were mul- 

 titudes of mites. The scales on the palms, soles, and 

 knees, in extreme cases, may develop from a fourth of an 

 inch to an inch in thickness. They may also form on the 

 head, in which case the hair falls. Cases of this itch are 

 of long standing, especially among slovenly people, where 

 it has been known to run three to sixteen years. 



References to Economic Literature on the Itch Mites 



1862. Delafond, O., and Bourguignon. — Traite pratique de la 

 psore de l'homme et des animaux domestiques. Memoires 

 Acade'mie de Sciences, Vol. XVI, pp. 277-922. 



1870. Riley, C. V. — The itch mite. The American Entomolo- 

 gist, Vol. 2, p. 114. 



1895. Railliet A. — Traite de zoologie medicale et agricole, 

 p. 647. 



1896. Osborn, H. — Insects affecting domestic animals. Bull. 5, 

 Bu. Ent., Dept. Agri., p. 269. 



1905. Banks, Nathan. — A treatise on the acarina or mites. 



Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., Vol. XXVIII, p. 1. 

 1907. Osler, William. — Modern medicine, etc., Vol. 1, pp. 627-630. 



