DR. JEAN ASTRUC ON MORBUS PEDICULARIS AND THE LOUSE WITH FOUR TESTICLES

Abstract

In 1746 an English edition of lectures on diseases of children given by Dr. Jean Astruc (1684-1766) was published anonymously in England. The preface describes it as "preferable to anything written on the present subject." This may be an overstatement, but the book was certainly in advance of most that had been written before, and of some that were written later.¹

Part of the chapter on Phthiriasis or Morbus Pedicularis is given below.

Though this subject is very nauseous and disagreeable to the physician, yet he should not be ignorant thereof, nor neglect its treatment, being very troublesome, and even dangerous, to children. It may happen to all, but it is more frequently observable in dirty, neglected infants. Some authors report, that they have seen infinite numbers of lice on all parts of the body; that they not only appeared on its surface, but also betwixt the cuticula and cutis, forming whitish superficial tumours. This kind of Pthiriasis I never observed: but have frequently seen it in the head, especially of those who are infected with a scabies, tinea, or crusta lactea, of that part....

The origin of Pediculi the moderns justly derive from eggs; from the axiom, omne animale ex oco, is true in this case. These eggs in the head are small, round, and whitish tumours or vesicles, fixed to the roots of the hair. The vermin have distinct males and females, and are not hermaphrodites, as several authors have imagined. The males have four testicles.