PRURITUS  , an ailment characterized by intense itching of the

surface of the body . It may occur in connexion with other morbid conditions, such as jaundice, diabetes, digestive disorders, &c., or as the result of the irritation produced by skin parasites . The most serious form is pruritus senilis, which affects old persons, and is often a cause of great suffering, depriving the patient of sleep . In such cases it is probably due to atrophic changes in the skin . No eruption is visible, except such marks as are produced by scratching . The treatment consists in the removal of any apparent cause, and measures to strengthen the system, such as the use of quinine, iron, &c . Soothing lotions composed of solutions of alkalis conjoined with chloral, opium, hydrocyanic acid, &c., may be applied to the affected skin at bedtime .