DISINFESTATION 51 



a habit of becoming unconscious, exhibiting no 

 movement, and the uninitiated may wrongly 

 assume that they are dead. A louse that has 

 been killed by dry heat becomes dark-coloured 

 and brittle, while the egg collapses and turns 

 brown. When killed by wet heat they both 

 become opaque and white. If there is any doubt 

 as to whether the lice are dead or not a few should 

 be placed in a vessel of glass or china, out of which 

 they are unable to crawl, and should be placed 

 in a warm place for a few hours. If alive they 

 may then be seen moving the legs and trying 

 to walk. It is a difficult matter for the in- 

 experienced to decide whether the eggs are killed 

 or not, and it is advisable to be generous with 

 both heat and time in the treatment and so 

 ' make assurance double sure." 



Cleansing by means of heat is the method most 

 employed in all the armies. In disinfestation of 

 the armies in the field there have been many very 

 real and great difficulties to overcome. One of 

 these was the failure to recognise how essential to 

 the well-being of the troops it is that they should 

 be louse-free, to the benefit of their health as well 

 as their comfort. The disorganisation which 

 wholesale disinfestation caused was therefore con- 

 sidered to be unwarranted. Cleansing stations 

 were often so far removed from the trenches that 

 it was actually impracticable to bring the men 

 to them except when they were resting near a 

 station. These difficulties are not insurmount- 



