Gr. H. F. Nutt all 
419 
Girls should have lockers or bags for their effects and should not hang 
their hats on pegs in schools (see p. 98 and Sobel, 1913, p. 656) because 
clean hats may become infested through contact with those that are 
verminous. Harding (1898, p. 95), who found lice in school-girls’ hats in 
the course of inspections, states that he has always ordered the hats to 
be sponged with 10 per cent, carbolic acid solution if any were found 
verminous. 
That cutting the hair short affords a great measure of 'protection against 
head-lice is proved by statistics (see p. 84), but it may not be sufficient 
to afford immunity if opportunities for infestation are frequent and the 
head is neglected, i.e. not sufficiently combed, brushed and washed. 
Under such circumstances the shorter the hair is cut the better, and because 
of this it is not uncommon, especially on the continent, to see children’s 
and men’s heads clipped so short that they almost appear to have 
been shaved. This constitutes a preventive measure long recognized in 
Continental Armies (Russia,. Germany, France). 
In the case of school-boys the dissemination of lice through the con¬ 
tact of headgear on pegs should be prevented by the boys being made to 
put their caps in their desks or pockets. 
The shaving of the head together with the use of wigs in former times 
must be regarded as having constituted an effort to do away in the 
upper classes with the all-prevalent head-lice of the general population. 
The custom of shaving the head wholly or partially among many peoples 
both ancient and modern 1 and among the priesthood, dating from the 
time of the Egyptians and beyond, doubtless arose in a similar manner. 
Among the simple preventive measures involving no medication may 
be reckoned the use of hair oil and pomade to which the immunity of 
certain classes has been attributed (see p. 85). The drawback to the 
use of greasy hair cosmetics is that they soil hats and pillows, but the 
frequent disuse of headgear now-a-days partly removes this objection. 
Care of Clothing. 
Outer garments with a rough texture are more liable to pick up stray lice 
than are smooth surfaced clothes, therefore the latter are to be preferred 
where choice is possible and liability to infestation exists. Relatively 
1 As examples which need not be multiplied, I may mention that Mr Claude Fuller 
informs me (1917) that the negroes of Natal shave their heads against lice, whilst Mr W. 
Mansfield Aders, writing (1918) from Zanzibar, states “As far as my experience goes lice are 
not common on African negroes in Zanzibar, chiefly owing to their cleanly habits and that 
they shave their pate, arm-pits and pubic region. On the other hand Indians who are 
very dirty and allow their hair to grow long are often swarming with lice.” 
