42 ANIMAL PARASITES 



Reuucci, a native of the island, probably familiar 

 with these old ladies' occupation, finally, in 1834, 

 taught the Parisian medical world how to find the 

 itch-mite ; and, from that time to this, the insect 

 and its ravages have been more thoroughly and 

 scientifically studied, and the literature of the 

 subject grown up into quite a dermatological 

 library. In 1846, Dr. C. Eichstedt, of Greifs- 

 wald, and Prof. Kramer, of Kiel, independently 

 discovered the male mite. IVe who, nowadays, 

 have treated the itch-disease, and studied the 

 natural history of the itch-mite, naturally feel as 

 if we knew pretty much all about it; yet, so late 

 as 1844, Prof. Hebra, of Vienna, gave the Ger- 

 man physicians a knowledge of a new and terrible 

 phase of this insect's habits and habitats, in what 

 is known as the Norwegian scabies, the first 

 recorded case having occurred in that country. 

 And so it probably will always be in the ever- 

 advancing science of medicine, the present genera- 

 tion smilino^ at the errors and i2:norance of the 

 preceding one. But when a truth, like the one 

 mentioned^ of Hebra's, is discovered, then others 

 are rapidly and constantly being found to confirm 



