318 SANITARY ENTOMOLOGY 



sterilization of clothes, little numbered tags, canvas folding tanks for 

 water, kerosene lamps to be used at night, and a barber shop. Naphtha 

 soap is used as the cleansing agent. On the Mexican border at El Paso the 

 men are first sprayed with gasoline soap (for which kerosene soap should 

 be substituted) and then walk through a continuous spray in a tank of 

 water about a foot deep. On the Sante Fe Railroad, according to Boyd, 

 the Mexicans are given a ten-minute bath in kerosene and soap-suds 

 (equal parts), with a kerosene and vinegar bath for the hair. Our own 

 army has now established elaborate bath and disinfection houses. 



In at least one of the baths hot water should be used. The liquid 

 soap described above, applied as a spray, is a very good method and 

 prevents contamination by means of the soap. 



Either before or after the bath, they enter the barber shop, where 

 the hair is clipped if there is any evidence of head lice. Bags should be 

 tied around the neck to catch the hair, which is burned. The men may 

 also be shaved. 



They then pass into the dressing room where they receive clean 

 underclothes and their outer garments and other possessions disinfected 

 and disinsected. 



Soaps. — In the bath, soap is one of the essentials. All soaps are not 

 insecticidal, and others are not sufficiently effective. Recent tests have 

 shown that gasoline and gasoline soap emulsion are not thoroughly effec- 

 tive remedies (Hutchison and Pierce). The following soap formulae are 

 considered effective: 



1. Liquid kerosene soap emulsion made by boiling one part soap 

 chips in four parts water and then adding two parts kerosene oil. This 

 jellies when cold, and one part of this jelly added to four parts of warm 

 water makes a good liquid soap at very small cost. 



2. Five per cent carbolic acid and soft soap, equal parts. 



3. 5 per cent cresol and soft soap, equal parts. 



4. Two per cent lysol and soft soap, equal parts. 



For wounded men, after a shower, Adler-Herzmark recommends soap- 

 ing down with a brush, using an emulsion of petroleum 1 part, soft soap 

 2 parts, and lysol solution 1 part. Afterwards apply 3 per cent cresol 

 ointment to the hairy parts. 



Sponge Baths. — It is often impossible for soldiers, especially, to get 

 a genuine bath, so they must resort to sponge baths and treatment of 

 the body and garments to reduce, at least, the infestation. 



A good treatment consists of sponging off the body with water, using 

 the above-mentioned kerosene emulsion soap, or sponging with 2 per cent 

 crude carbolic acid solution, and then anointing the body with ordinary 

 grease or with vermijelly, which we have already described. 



Vermicides and Repellents. — When unable to follow out the plan of 



