OF THE HUMAN SKIN. 47 



fine pair of curved scissors, commencing at the 

 blind end, where the mite lies buried. Of course 

 a little experience is required to do this success- 

 fully. Then, if we place this little lamina of 

 epidermis on the microscope-slide, and a covering- 

 glass over it, but without fluid, we shall most 

 likely find the female acarus and the eggs she has 

 laid behind her. A magnifying power of sixty to 

 one hundred times is quite sufficient. 



After this animal had been proved to be the 

 sole cause of the disease called itch, medical men 

 thought it was always necessary to find the mite, 

 to be sure that their patient had the itch. From 

 the history above given, and explanations just 

 made, we can see how natural it was that they 

 should so often fail in this, and therefore conclude 

 that their patient was not the victim of this ani- 

 mal parasite ; consequently he was not properly 

 treated, and did not get well — he continued to itch. 

 Hence, to account for this, and cover up ignorance, 

 was invented the "Jackson Itch," the "Seven- 

 years' Itch," and, lately, the "Army Itch." We 

 conclude the first did not derive its name from 

 our former President, but was only popular dur- 

 ing his reign. The second was ingenious ; for if a 



