ANOPLURA: EXPERIMENTAL TECHNIQUE 555 



tendency to wander about, and only a small number can be handled at 

 one time. 



No such elaborate precautions have been found necessary in the warm 

 climate of Madras in the cooler months of the year. In the hot weather, 

 however, it is necessary to keep the lice in a cool incubator with a 

 temperature of about 75 C., and to feed at least twice each day. 



Great care should be taken in handling the lice, and they should not 

 be touched with forceps if it can be avoided, as they are very easily 

 injured. When it is necessary to feed them the piece of cloth on which 

 they rest should be taken out of the tube with forceps and applied to the 

 skin ; any which pass on to the skin and remain there after they have fed 

 can be picked up with a soft brush. Eggs laid on the cloth may be 

 allowed to remain till they hatch, which may be as long as a month, or 

 the piece of cloth to which they are attached may be cut out and placed 

 in a separate tube. Dark and thick cloth, such as flannel or serge, is the 

 best kind to use. 



In performing experiments with the head louse the following method 

 has been adopted. The head is first thoroughly cleansed, and the hair 

 cut short if necessary. All lice are removed with a 



fine comb, and any hairs to which nits are attached "" rt ! 1 ?? of 



out Experiments 



cut off with scissors. Fresh adult lice, either bred 

 from the egg or obtained from a non-infected individual, are then 

 placed on the head, and the hair covered up with a closely fitting cap of 

 fine muslin. When the lice are required for examination they are 

 removed by means of a fine comb. Body lice may be kept in tubes and 

 fed on the wrist or forearm, as already described. 



When experimenting with the smaller mammals, and especially in the 

 case of rodents, it must be borne in mind that the animal may harbour 

 more than one species, and that they may frequent different parts of the 

 body. The Indian squirrel, for instance, harbours one species about the 

 neck and another in the region of the tail. 



Before commencing any experiment the animal should be completely 

 freed from lice. This is best accomplished by chloroforming it, and 

 removing the stupified lice with a fine comb, cutting off all hairs to which 

 nits are attached. To ensure that none have been missed the animal 

 should be put back in a cage for a time to allow any remaining ova to 

 hatch, and again examined. A definite number of bred individuals is 

 then placed upon the host under whatever conditions may be necessary. 



Experiments with the larger mammals, such as cattle and pigs, are 

 difficult to carry out, as the lice die if kept apart from the host. The 



