Observations on itching produced by cowhage, and on the part played by histamine as a mediator of the itch sensation.

The concept of histamine as a chemical mediator of the itch sensation is not new. A substance indistinguishable from histamine exists in a combined form in the human skin and is known to be liberated when the skin is damaged in various ways (Lewis, 1927, 1942; Rosenthal, 1949). Lewis suggested that the itching of urticaria might be due to liberated " H " substance, and he showed that all the features of an urticarial lesion-weal, flare, and itching (" the triple response ")-could be reproduced by pricking histamine into the skin. With such an association between histamine and itching (for references see the Discussion).

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