THE CONTROL OF HUMAN LICE 319 



bathing and cleaning the clothing, the only means left is to use some 

 kind of vermicide or repellent, Nuttall has described experiments with 

 many chemicals, but Moore has gone into the subject much more exhaus- 

 tively. Both reported unfavorably regarding sachets, although the fol- 

 lowing substances have been found to exert repellent action on the lice: 

 oils of anise, cloves, eucalyptus, naphthalene and carbolic acid. Insec- 

 ticidal powders are frequently favored. Moore (1918a) lists many 

 effective powders but reports the most effective to be made of: 



Creosote 1 cc. 



Sulphur 14 gr. 



Talc 20 gr. 



Naphthalene is very commonly used and is effective, but its continu- 

 ous use may injure the eyes. One of the commonest powders in general 

 use is known as N. C. I. powder and is made of : 



Naphthalene 96 per cent 



Creosote 2 per cent 



Iodoform 2 per cent 



The specialists of all the nations have sought to find a substance 

 with which clothing could be impregnated and rendered vermicidal. 

 Moore has suggested wearing a cheesecloth suit impregnated with satu- 

 rated solution of sulphur in creosote on the outside of the underwear, bu b 

 on the whole he reports (Moore, 1918b) after testing many substances, 

 that the cost of application is too high for the results obtained, and 

 none are effective longer than a week. Moore and Hirschfelder subse- 

 quently reported more hope of success from naphthalene and cresol com- 

 pounds than from anything else. 



CONTROL OF LICE IN CLOTHING 



In order to properly delouse a unit, the cleansing of the clothing is 

 of utmost importance. There are many satisfactory systems of treat- 

 ment and it is therefore a question of choosing the one which is most 

 practicable under the existing conditions. 



1. Laundry 



The laundry method of disinsection as described by Pierce, Hutch- 

 ison, and Moscowitz, is the best and most efficient, given sufficient time 

 and the necessary equipment. In this process the clothes are deloused, 

 disinfected, cleaned, and pressed. Every step in the laundry is in- 



