[Pruritus as a psychic phenomenon (author's transl)].

Pruritus is a psychosomatic phenomenon which may be triggered physically and has psychic consequences. Pruritus may, however, also be triggered psychically and have a physical substrate as a consequence. The present study attempts to contribute to the understanding of the psychic origin of itching. Itching is considered as an affect and an analogy with behaviour patterns from the animal kingdom is pointed out. If the doctor perceives his patient's affects he can by interpretation help the patient to perceive unconscious affects and thus to recognize the cause of the itch. The symptom may then disappear.