It is hard to know where to begin when discussing the 1500 page “Domestic Medical Practice” - a turn of the century tome designed for household use, published by a now vanished medical society and written by a mix of 19th century educated New York City Doctors. I have chosen to begin randomly with page 1386 and a passage on scabies which reads:

Scabies or the Itch appear in children who have not been kept as clean as they might be. They are little red marks with black centers. They usually appear between the fingers and the toes. The itching is intense.

Give the child a warm bath, and anoint with Balsam of Peru. Three or four applications of Petroleum or Benzine after a bath will often remove the trouble. One ounce of Sulphur and two ounces of Lard made into an ointment is an old remedy. If any of the above remedies are used a few times, the skin will usually clear. It is a very contagious disease and the child should sleep alone.

Feel free to comment on this and then I will continue with an analysis.