CL H. F. Nuttall 
415 
the departure of Messrs E. Hindle (Captain, R.E.) and L. Harrison 
(Lieutenant, R.A.M.C.) who were obliged to abandon their work which 
consequently devolved on me. The expenses of the investigation have 
been met, in part, by a grant from the Local Government Board. 
I. PREVENTION. 
GENERAL MEASURES FOR GUARDING AGAINST 
INFESTATION WITH LICE. 
Education. 
Many persons, especially belonging to the better classes, only know of 
lice by name, the name being virtually taboo in good society. Even a 
medical writer, and a German at that, wrote three years ago: “Welcher 
anstandige cleutsche Mann hat sich vor diesem Kriege urn Lause gekiim- 
mert” (Pinkus, n, 1915, p. 239), whilst a distinguished British entomo¬ 
logist refers briefly to them stating that they “ are disgusting insects about 
which but little is known." When scientific men express such opinions 
it is easy to understand the prevailing ignorance regarding these ancient 
parasites of man. Now that it has been established that they are capable 
of communicating deadly diseases besides inflicting much misery on 
mankind we must hope that lice will receive the attention they deserve 1 . 
Among persons who suffer from lousiness 2 a certain knowledge 
may exist as to the mode of dealing with the pest, but often this know¬ 
ledge must scarcely be greater than that possessed by apes and monkeys, 
otherwise it is difficult to explain the frequency with which the ignorant 
lower classes allow themselves to become heavily infested. 
An individual who is liable to become infested should at least know 
enough of lice to recognize them, so that he may, if he wills, take prompt 
measures to rid himself of their presence. Therefore, in combating 
lousiness, it is essential in the first instance that steps be taken to educate 
the people as to their significance. Such educational efforts should com¬ 
mence in the schools. 
Civilians. Sobel (1913, p. 663) has found in the schools of New 
York that the conditions there have improved in consequence of in¬ 
struction and periodic inspection of children coupled with consultations 
with parents at school and in the homes; practical demonstrations at 
home; exclusion from school of children with lice upon them, aggravated 
1 See my paper in this vol. pp. 43-79 for a complete statement on this subject, except 
for the newly reported discoveries bearing on Trench Fever of which a preliminary report 
appeared in Brit. Med. Journ., 23. in. 1917, p. 354. 
2 “In greke it is named Phthiriasis, In Englyshe it is named lousines.” (Boorde, 
ca. 1547.) 
