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421 
nurses and others, especially when in attendance on typhus and relapsing 
fever cases. Such clothing should also be used by persons who have to 
handle verminous individuals and their effects. The reader is referred in 
this connection to the section dealing with the modes of infestation and 
dissemination of lice (pp. 94-95). The ordinary outer clothing of medical 
attendants should also be as smooth as possible. Rubber or oiled silk are 
best for protective purposes, since they possess the smoothest surfaces. 
The coat should be long, extending well below the knee and buttoning 
down the back; the sleeves should be narrow to the wrists and rubber 
gloves should be drawn up so as to overlap the edges of the sleeves; the 
collar should button close around the neck, the head being covered by 
a hood; rubber or smooth leather top boots may be worn. Failing 
rubber, a suit of smooth fabric opening at the neck like a bathing suit 
with buttons at the shoulders may be substituted, it should be all in one, 
with the trousers closed at the ends like large stockings, sandals being 
worn over them on the feet 1 , 
Reference has already been made to the use of silk underwear (p. 95) 
as a protection against lice and its inefficiency pointed out. It has 
been recommended as a sure preventive by Kisskalt (1915, p. 154), as 
really useful by Meltzer (1915, p. 532) and Heymann (1915, pp. 254, 320). 
Kisskalt and Friedmann (1915, p. 398), on the other hand, state that 
experiences with silk are contradictory, whilst Marschalko (1915, p. 316) 
condemns silk underwear as unpractical, costly and ineffective, Gleber 
having informed him that many officers became heavily infested in 
Galicia although they wore silk underwear. From my experiments I 
would conclude that silk tricot is useless whilst smooth silk may well 
afford a measure of protection. 
Avoiding Contamination. 
The modes of infestation and dissemination of lice have already been 
considered fully (see pp. 94 et seq.) and all that need be said here is to 
lay stress upon the necessity of avoiding as much as possible contact with 
verminous persons and their effects. The overcrowding of men, one or 
more of whom may be infested, is the most common cause of the spread 
of lice. 
should be sealed about the neck and sleeves with adhesive plaster; Gartner advises 
smearing “a repellant” upon the over-alls, which seems superfluous; a better suggestion is 
that of Letulle and Bordas (1915, p. 245) to wrap cotton wool around the wrists and neck, 
the lice becoming entangled therein. 
1 This form of over-all suit was adopted by the staff in Serbia after various trials 
according to Maitland (1915, p. 283). 
