URTICARIA (Neo-Lat., from Lat. urtica, nettle), HIVES, or NETTLE RASH. An eruption of the skin, coming out quite suddenly, and con sisting of firm, round, convex, or lentieular ele vations of the skin, from a quarter of an inch to an inch in diameter. at first pink. and soon be coming white in the centre. These are called pomphi or wheals. They are scattered or closely crowded over the part affected, and are not sym metrical. In the acute form of the disorder the wheals arise rapidly and subside in a few hours or a day at longest. In the chronic form they last longer and recur frequently. Urticaria is accompanied with intense itching.
The causes may be both local and general. Among the local causes are direct irritants such as the poison of the stinging nettle (whence the name), the stings of bees and wasps, contact with jellyfish and certain caterpillars. A popu lar form of urticaria is due to the bites of fleas and bugs. General or systemic causes may lie the eating of shellfish, pork, sausages, mush rooms and some fruits, such as strawberries; cer tain drugs, as copaiba, cubebs, quinine: general disorders, such as gout, indigestion, asthma, and in women pregnancy, menstruation, and lactation.
Sometimes 110 cause can be found except general nervous irritability. Treatment must depend on the cause, which should be sought for and re moved. Acute cases, clue to articles of diet. may be relieved by an emetic, if vomiting and diar rhea do not occur spontaneously. In the chronic form, which is often very stubborn. if the or ticaria can lie traced to any article of food, this should be eliminated. The digestion must be regulated, and general disorders, such as gout, treated with appropriate remedies. For the se vere itching a burning alkaline bath or lotions,. or mild solutions of carbolic acid or other anti septics, may lie used locally. Scratching must be avoided, since it only aggravates the affection. Where the hives are the result of nervous irrita bility the general health must be built up.