66 LICE AND THEIR MENACE TO MAN 



round with many real difficulties which the 

 authorities are endeavouring to overcome. In 

 civilian life any individual can rid himself of 

 the heaviest infestation in a few hours, and there 

 are many institutions, such as public cleansing 

 stations (though there should be many more), 

 which are provided to give him any help he may 

 need. 



Prophylaxis against Louse - borne Disease. 

 Modern scientists tend more and more to study 

 the prevention of disease rather than its cure. 

 It is difficult, often impossible, to eradicate the 

 germs of a disease from the human body, since 

 the necessary drugs frequently do more harm to 

 the tissues than to the invading organisms. The 

 treatments by means of vaccines and sera are 

 available for only a relatively few diseases, and 

 for many will perhaps never be available. How 

 much better is it, therefore, to endeavour to 

 prevent the initial entry of the organisms into 

 the system than to attempt to eradicate them 

 afterwards. The essence of the prevention of 

 insect-borne diseases is to get rid of the insects 

 which convey them from man to man. 



We know that if a man is never bitten by a 

 mosquito he cannot contract malaria ; that if 

 he does not allow a tsetse-fly to feed upon him 

 he is safe from sleeping sickness ; that if he can 

 avoid rat-fleas he will never fall a victim to 

 bubonic plague. We also know that it is a 

 council of perfection to advise a man to avoid 



