TYPHUS FEVER, TRENCH FEVER, ETC. 955 



The most efficient individual protection against louse infestation 

 consists in frequent baths, preferably hot showers, in which a free 

 use of soap is made, and all the hairy parts of the body very 

 thoroughly soaped. The best type of soap is a soft soap. A British 

 Army preparation which was very useful during the war was made 

 by slowly warming three pounds of soft soap with one-half pint 

 of water and, after removal from the fire, this was mixed with 

 five and one-half pounds of crude paraffin oil. Two and one-half 

 per cent cresol was added to this mixture. This formula is taken 

 from D. G. M. S. Circular Memorandum, No. 16, of the British Army. 

 After bathing, a complete change of underclothing should be made. 

 In the American Army bathing establishments were arranged from 

 ordinary Adrian huts, which were applicable to delousing on a large 

 scale. Bath houses were so arranged that men undressed in an 

 anteroom, tying up their outer clothing into bundles with tags 

 attached and throwing their soiled underclothing into large wire 

 baskets which were immediately taken to the steam sterilizers. They 

 then passed into the shower rooms and came out into a dressing 

 room, into a window of which the outer clothing after sterilization 

 was returned to them, and into which from another window clean 

 underclothing was passed. We have described the arrangement as 

 used in the American Army in an article on army sanitation. 52 



For the purpose of keeping lice away from the body, naphthalin 

 sprinkled through the underclothing probably has some effect. 



Kerosene or gasoline when applied to clothing in small quantities 

 may keep insects from lodging in clothing. 



Various soaps and ointments have been made in which petroleum, 

 kerosene or naphthalin have been used as ingredients, and these 

 have been applied by smearing along the seams of the clothing, 

 under the arm pits, etc. 



An excellent method for personal prophylaxis has been the 

 spraying of crude creosote oil on the inner and outer clothing. This 

 has been used successfully by Pappenheimer and Mueller. A good 

 way of killing insects that may have wandered into the clothing 

 during hospital or other duties in the course of the day is to drop 

 the clothing into a dress suit bag or other fairly tight container 

 and pouring in an ounce or two of chloroform, closing it for the 

 night. This will not always kill nits. 



62 Zinsseiv Military Surgeon November, 1918. 



