OF THE HUMAN SKIN. 27 



the head, especially of children, it will be safer to 

 consult some physician who pays especial attention 

 to diseases of the skin ; remember, however, to 

 avoid all who advertise in any form whatever, by 

 newspapers, handbills, pamphlets or almanacs, 

 and equally avoid patent medicines and quack 

 nostrums. These, unfortunately, only too often 

 succeed in fleecing the ignorant and credulous, 

 because the general practitioner disregards or 

 treats but lightly what in reality needs knowledge, 

 thought and care. 



We have explained that the pediculus pubis, or 

 crab-louse, lived on all the haired portions of the 

 body except the scalp, which territory he always 

 leaves intact for his cousin the pediculus capitis. 

 This insect, it must again be remembered, cannot 

 run about, but holds on to the hair close to the 

 skin. Coml)in2: and rubbinof will not dislods^e it, 

 but it is readily, like the pediculus capitis, killed 

 by some of the substances mentioned. A powder 

 called Capuchin powder is used in Europe, to de- 

 stroy both these species of vermin. It is composed 

 of equal parts of seeds of stavesacre, cocculus and 

 sabadilla. To efiect a cure, all parts of the body 

 infested, or likely to be, must be thoroughly 



