CHAPTER XXIII 

 LICE 



ALTHOUGH the disrepute of human lice has grown with civiliza- 

 tion and with the knowledge that lousiness and cleanliness are 

 incompatible, lice are even yet among the most important of 

 external human parasites. In former times the louse apparently 

 was not an object of disgust and loathing even among the better 

 class of people. In Herrick's entertaining book, " Household 

 Insects," the following quotation from Hooke, an English zoolo- 

 gist of the 17th century, is given concerning the head louse. 

 " This is a creature so officious that 'twill be known to everyone 

 at one time or another, so busie, so impudent, that it will be in- 

 truding itself into everyone's company, and so proud and as- 

 piring withall that it fears not to trample on the best, and affects 

 nothing so much as a crown; feeds and lives very high, and that 

 makes it so saucy as to pull anyone by the ears that comes its 

 way, and will never be quiet till it has drawn blood." 



Unfortunately, even at the present time, and in the face of 

 present knowledge concerning the role of lice in the spread of 

 disease,, there are many individuals, many communities and even 

 some races which make no effort to exterminate them. Still 

 more unfortunate is it that there are many people who of neces- 

 sity must associate with these unwelcome companions. In 

 logging camps, jails, ships, railroad camps, etc., where close 

 association with people who are dirty by nature is unavoidable, 

 lice very often become prevalent. Most of all, however, are 

 lice associated with war. The deadly typhus fever, which has 

 ravaged the armies of almost every war in the history of the world, 

 as far as is known, apparently is spread exclusively by lice. These 

 parasites are the guerillas of war; they bring suffering and death 

 not only to armies but also to the innocent non-combatant popu- 

 lation of the war-stricken countries through which the armies 

 have passed. This phase of the subject will be discussed in more 

 detail under the section on " Lice and Disease." 



387 



