SOME HUMAN PARASITES 305 



No one is exempt and it is especially liable to be contracted 

 by school children, inmates of poor houses, jails, and by 

 soldiers in camp life. During the Civil War there came 

 into existence the army itch, which was the same old dis- 

 ease that had gained a firm foothold among the soldiers 

 because they did not have facilities for bathing and for 

 personal cleanliness and because they were in such 

 intimate contact with one another. Before physicians 

 knew so well how to treat the disease people were told 

 that they had the seven years' itch and went on scratching 

 for an indefinite length of time. 



Methods of control. — The itch is easily eradicated if 

 one is thorough and persistent. In order to succeed, the 

 skin of the patient must be softened and the scurfy epider- 

 mis removed so that the preparation that is applied will 

 reach the mites. A rigorous treatment consists in rubbing 

 the patient all over with green soap and water and then 

 putting the individual in a warm bath for half an hour. 

 This process softens the skin and removes the outer crust 

 of skin, thus exposing the mites to the action of any prep- 

 aration that may be applied to the body. Ordinarily, 

 common sulfur ointment is used to rub over the body 

 and should be applied in liberal quantities. Sulfur 

 ointment, however, will not kill the eggs and at least a 

 second application should be made after an interval of 

 two or three days. This is to give the eggs time to hatch. 

 Some authorities also recommend that the underclothes, 

 at least, should be immersed for some time in hot water. 



It is always best, however, to apply to a physician for 

 advice and then follow his directions. There is a large 

 choice of remedies nowadays which are well known to 

 physicians, 

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