G. H. F. Nuttall 
555 
Ref. 
No. 
applied every 3-7 days; it is a better “killer and deterrent” 
than Vermijelli (see No. 473) and is applied in the same way. It 
does not kill nits. 
Expts 337-338: are insufficient to j>rove the efficacy of crude tar- 
oil with or without soap or soft paraffin, but they indicate that it 
kills lice and apparently causes them to migrate for the insects 
wandered from treated to untreated parts of the clothing. The 
range of the effect is limited as with naphthaline. It is easy to 
apply in the trenches and appears to exert an effect for 3-4 days. 
Further tests with tar preparations should evidently be made 1 . 
467. Tetrachlorethane, for cajpitis. 
Recommended by Kinloch for application with a cotton plug to 
the head. There is no evidence that the author has actually applied 
it in practice. 
468. Tobacco, for capitis, corporis and pubis. 
For pubis, tobacco infusion has been applied, but Bryant (1838) 
records the case of a youth he knew who nearly killed himself 
by applying a strong infusion to the pubic region. Nysten (1858) 
prescribes 60 g. per litre of water. 
For capitis and corporis an infusion was already recommended as 
an insecticide by Lowenhardt (1840). For corporis a strong infusion 
or decoction is advised by Girard (to be lightly applied) and 
Comstock. Prowazek and other German writers advise using an 
infusion wherein a cigar is steeped in a litre of water. It is well to 
bear in mind that tobacco thus applied to the skin is dangerous 
unless used moderately. 
Swoboda recommends scattering tobacco dust on the bandages 
of wounded soldiers. Tobacco smoke issuing from a pipe was used 
by Jousseaume whilst travelling in the Red Sea; he fumigated his 
underclothes repeatedly with good results for the following 24 hrs. 
As a makeshift method for temporarily alleviating the annoyance 
due to the presence of lice this method appears worth noting. See 
No. 472, last §. 
Expt 236: tobacco smoke is stated to have killed lice in 
15 minutes; it appears more probable that they were merely stupe¬ 
fied ; the effect on nits is nil 1 . 
469. Toluol for use against lice has been suggested, but there is no evi¬ 
dence as to its usefulness. 
1 See under experiments with repellants, p. 488, 
Parasitology x 
36 
