Phtheiriasis Capitis

This affection occurs most frequently in children, more rarely in women, and almost never in men. The insect (pediculus capitis) finds its most congenial abiding-place in the hair of children, where it lays its eggs, and attaches them by a kind of cement to the shafts of the hair. The eggs take but a few days to hatch, and in a short time the parts may become pretty thickly settled. They derive their nourishment from the skin, and by their presence produce considerable itching and lead to a corresponding amount of scratching. In children predisposal to eczema they not infrequently lead to the development of this affection.