Does anyone here know what "the itch" was. I'm doing a project on Victorian diseases, and I can't find ANY info.
2006-12-13 23:54:50 · 4 answers · asked by Nikita R 2 in Arts & Humanities ➔ History
According to this nice summary, it was scabies, a mite. In a rather stilted school essay (better than some I used to write, so I hope he got a good grade) another thought it was lice. From the sales summary of The English Herbal Physician (3rd link, item ARB-1251) "the itch" was in the context of lice and the cure offered to eliminate the resultant scabs. The interesting piece on 'lodging house law' seems to attribute "the itch" to something people got simply by being dirty, and admitted that common folk were simply dirty.
So there's the neighborhood and my neighbors above pretty well already came to those conclusions.
2006-12-14 01:54:19 · answer #1 · answered by Rabbit 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A sensation felt on an area of skin that causes a person or animal to desire to scratch that area. It is a distressing symptom that can cause discomfort. Scratching may cause breaks in the skin that may result in infection. Itching can be related to anything from dry skin to undiagnosed cancer.
2006-12-14 08:02:15 · answer #2 · answered by Lai Yu Zeng 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It was venereal disease, like clamydia or the crabs. The Victorians did not have the best hygiene.
2006-12-14 08:01:45 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
My guess is lice.
2006-12-14 07:59:27 · answer #4 · answered by mimi 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋