What is "grocer's itch"

Grocer \Gro"cer\, n. [Formerly written grosser, orig., one who sells by the gross, or deals by wholesale, fr. F. grossier, marchand grossier, fr. gros large, great. See Gross.] A trader who deals in meats, dairy products, produce, tea, sugar, spices, coffee, fruits, and various other commodities.

Grocer's itch (Med.), a disease of the skin, caused by handling sugar and treacle.

Itch \Itch\, n.

1. (Med.) An eruption of small, isolated, acuminated vesicles, produced by the entrance of a parasitic mite (the Sarcoptes scabei), and attended with itching. It is transmissible by contact.

2. Any itching eruption.

3. A sensation in the skin occasioned (or resembling that occasioned) by the itch eruption; -- called also scabies, psora, etc.

4. A constant irritating desire.

   An itch of being thought a divine king.
   --Dryden.

   Baker's itch. See under Baker.

   Barber's itch, sycosis.

   Bricklayer's itch, an eczema of the hands attended with much itching, occurring among bricklayers.

   Grocer's itch, an itching eruption, being a variety of eczema, produced by the sugar mite ( Tyrogluphus sacchari).

   Itch insect (Zo["o]l.), a small parasitic mite ( Sarcoptes scabei) which burrows and breeds beneath the human skin, thus causing the disease known as the itch. See Illust. in Append.

   Itch mite. (Zo["o]l.) Same as Itch insect, above. Also, other similar mites affecting the lower animals, as the horse and ox.

   Sugar baker's itch, a variety of eczema, due to the action of sugar upon the skin.

   Washerwoman's itch, eczema of the hands and arms, occurring among washerwomen.

n. 1 (context medicine English) A disease of the skin, caused by handling sugar and treacle. 2 (context medicine English) An itching eruption, a variety of eczema, produced by the sugar mite (''Tyrogluphus sacchari'').

Grocer's itch is a cutaneous condition characterized by a pruritic dermatitis that occurs from coming into contact with mites such as Carpoglyphus passularum (a fruit mite) or Glyciphagus domesticus (a common house mite). Contact usually occurs when handling food with mites in it, such as figs, dates, prunes, grain, cheese, or other dried foods.