Gr. H. F. Nuttall 
67 
Impetigo contagiosa, Pityriasis, Favus and Pyogenic infections: 
Aubert (1879) believed that lice spread impetigo, pityriasis, etc., by 
acting as predisposing factors and by generalizing the infection. Lice, 
according to this author, play a specially important part in the spread 
of favus, “dont les spores trouvent, dans le suintement ou les croutes 
d’un impetigo, des conditions favorables de fixation et d’adherence.” 
Dewevre (1892, pp. 232-234) showed by experiment that head-lice 
may convey impetigo. He removed lice from impetigo cases and placed 
them on the heads of healthy children, who, some days later, developed 
impetigo. Lice from healthy children’s heads were placed upon the 
head of an affected child for twenty minutes, and were then transferred 
for half-an-hour to clean children’s heads with the result that 50 % 
of these children became infected. Dewevre regards lice in the light 
of mechanical carriers of the infective agents. 
Correspondent (1901, p. 918) describes the case of a girl of three 
years at Toulouse, who died from acute skin infection (nature not 
stated) brought about by general infestation with lice. 
An Editorial (1905, p. 234), referring to a paper by Benenati (Gaz. 
d. Ospedali e d. Cliniche, 26. in. 1905), gives reasons for doubting that 
deaths attributed to lice by classical authors were really due to these 
insects. One of the more recent historical instances of death attri¬ 
buted to pediculosis concerns the case of Ferdinand II., King of Sicily, 
who died in 1859. The Editorial expresses the view that the King’s 
death was due to pyaemia; the lice upon his person probably caused 
eczema, followed by secondary infection through the skin. 
Brumpt (1910, p. 550) refers to the scratching caused by head-lice 
as favouring skin infection and the production of impetigo. The lice 
gather beneath the scabs in impetigo, the skin secretion becomes viscid, 
then dried, a characteristic nauseous odour being given off. The 
scratching that ensues may spread the infection to the face and body, 
whilst the cervical glands often become involved. 
Malcolm Morris (1911, pp. 158-159) advises the physician to look 
for nits in cases of impetigo contagiosa associated with itching of the 
scalp. 
Salomon (1912, p. 201) writes that head-lice produce characteristic 
effects, these being (1) impetiginous eczema of the back of the neck, 
and (2) a condition he has observed in 35 cases and regards as a specific 
affection: the last phalanges of the fingers, rarely the other phalanges 
and palm of the hand, show superficial, painless blisters containing 
either serum, which may be blood-tinged, or else thin pus. The blisters 
