420 
Combating Lousiness 
speaking, outer garments harbour fewer lice than do the underclothes of 
infested persons. According to circumstances the more or less frequent 
inspection, brushing and beating of the external clothing will afford a 
measure of protection by dislodging casually intruding lice. 
The headgear as a means of disseminating lice among school children 
has already been referred to (vide supra). 
Underclothing. The better educated classes who wear a full suit of 
underwear usually change the suit once a week, a proceeding which 
practically assures them against becoming louse infested. Many re¬ 
latively well-to-do men in this country have the filthy habit of not 
wearing drawers, such people are naturally more prone to harbour lice. 
Smooth and seamless clothing is the best. Where there are seams, the 
overlapping should be as slight as possible so as to afford little or no 
retreat for lice. Folds and puckers should therefore be avoided in under¬ 
clothes. Woollen underclothes are unfortunately prone to harbour 
vermin as old experience has taught: 
“Some kind of cloath likewise is apt to ingender lice, and especially those which are 
made of wooll that sheeps bare which were worried of wolves.” Philemon Holland 1 . 
Bedding. As a matter of routine, experienced travellers, especially 
in some countries, always inspect the bedding with which they are 
supplied to see that there are no vermin present, it being a common 
trick of unscrupulous hotel and boarding house keepers in some places 
to palm off smoothed but soiled bed linen on innocent guests. If the 
previous occupant of the bed was verminous the traveller may readily 
acquire the parasites unless he takes precautions. The prevalence of 
lice in common lodging houses in London has already been noted (see 
p. 87). Blankets, from the nature of their texture and the fact that they 
are infrequently cleansed, are liable to harbour lice; they should not be 
laid down in places occupied or that have been occupied by verminous 
persons or their effects since lice readily cling to them. 
Protective Clothing. 
The use of smooth surfaced outer clothing to which lice cannot cling 
has been advocated by a number of recent writers 2 and the employment 
of such protective clothing is obviously indicated in the case of physicians, 
1 Cited by Knott (1895, p. 189). Moffett (ed. 1634, p. 262) makes the statement: 
“‘Lana ovis a lupo occissae pediculos gignit, si vestis ex ea sudore madeat: quod sane 
Aristotelis Pliniique commentum sit;....” 
2 Fliigge, Neufeld, Gartner, Kraus, Letulle, Letulle and Bordas, Mendes, von Wasiel- 
ewski, Galewsky, Adler-Herzmark. Fliigge makes the unpractical suggestion that the coat 
