"Royal" pediculosis in Renaissance Italy: lice in the mummy of the King of Naples Ferdinand II of Aragon (1467-1496)
Mem. Inst. Oswaldo Cruz
; 104(4): 671-672, July 2009. ilus
Article
em En
| LILACS
| ID: lil-523741
Biblioteca responsável:
BR1.1
ABSTRACT
Pediculosis seems to have afflicted humans since the most ancient times and lice have been found in several ancient human remains. Examination of the head hair and pubic hair of the artificial mummy of Ferdinand II of Aragon (1467-1496), King of Naples, revealed a double infestation with two different species of lice, Pediculus capitis, the head louse, and Pthirus pubis, the pubic louse. The hair samples were also positive for the presence of mercury, probably applied as an anti-pediculosis therapy. This is the first time that these parasites have been found in the hair of a king, demonstrating that even members of the wealthy classes in the Renaissance were subject to louse infestation.
Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
LILACS
Assunto principal:
Infestações por Piolhos
/
Múmias
/
Pessoas Famosas
Limite:
Animals
/
Humans
País/Região como assunto:
Europa
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Mem. Inst. Oswaldo Cruz
Assunto da revista:
MEDICINA TROPICAL
/
PARASITOLOGIA
Ano de publicação:
2009
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Itália
País de publicação:
Brasil