noun
eczema; skin eruption
Refers to eczema or a similar skin condition; the term is somewhat dated and may appear in older medical texts or historical contexts. In modern Japanese, 湿疹 (しっしん) is more common.
古文書には「瘡」という病名が記されている。
In old documents, the disease name '瘡' is recorded.
この薬は瘡に効くと昔から言われている。
This medicine has long been said to be effective for skin eruptions.
湿疹 is the standard modern medical term for eczema, while 瘡 is an older, less common word.
The kanji 瘡 is composed of 疒 (sickness radical) and 倉 (warehouse), but the exact derivation is uncertain. The reading くさ is native Japanese, and the word is historically used for skin diseases.