The Crab Lice.—These are a smaller type of the former species, as head or body lice. They are nearly as wide as long. They have strong legs spread out on the sides of the body, which makes them appear like crabs. They are of whitish color, slightly shaded on the shoulders and legs with a red tinge. Crab lice are found upon the hairy regions of the body other than the scalp. The spread of these pests can be checked by washing all toilet seats with scalding water, and boiling towels and linen from suspected persons. Laundries should be especially careful as to the thorough boiling and disinfection of all clothing, as the eggs of these parasites can be conveyed in bed-clothing, towels, etc. TREATMENT.--Shave the hair in the region of the itching and wash twice a day with a lotion made of

Tincture of Larkspur............1/2 ounce

Commercial Ether ........... 8 ounces

 

 WARNING  This treatment recommendation is over 100 years old.  We do not recommend it nor know how effective or safe it might be.  If you are cleaning clothing or Delsey luggage or something, use at your own risk, but if you try this stuff on your self, we think you are probably crazy.

Additional Articles from the Book of Medicine:

• How to Destroy the Breeding places of Mosquitoes-part 2
  
  

  How to Destroy the breeding places of Mosquitoes-(cont).-every individual should do everything possible to get rid of all breeding places.  Examine your premises and be sure that they are free from any vessels, etc., which will receive and contain still water for one week or longer, that will afford a breeding place for mosquitoes.  A loose brick causing a depression in the pavement, defective plumbing, cups, buckets, barrels, water pans and chicken yards, etc., a horse trough, a gutter on the ease of a row for house, models, barrels, tin cans, water spouts out of repair or clogged up and so do not drain properly.  These collectors of water should be removed and all plumbing, drains, roofs etc., repaired.

  It strikes me that these two paragraphs are back to back and seem to contain the same unending list of places that mosquitoes might breed even though the paragraphs are right next to each other it seems a little ridiculous especially when I have to write all of us,.  Hopefully you’re enjoying the concepts and we will hopefully actually hear some remedies on how to actually destroy breeding place as opposed to repetitive paragraphs describing where those breeding places are.  Then again, sometimes even in modern life you will hear rambling and more often that copy writing text that about irrelevant topics from progesterone to kids toys to scooter safety ad nauseam.

• How Lead Poisons Water
  
  

  How Lead Poisons Water. — when pure water recently boiled is placed in, or run over, lead, no action takes place; but if the water, after being boiled, is exposed for a short time to the air, from which it absorbs oxygen and carbonic acid, and is then brought in contact with lead, we soon find a whitish film, which on chemical examination is found to be composed of a carbonate of lead, is formed upon the metallic surface. This whitish film, which easily separates from the lead on which it appears and becomes mechanically mixed with water, is very poisonous. Since as already mentioned, Rainwater contains usually some nitric acid, in addition to the oxygen and carbonic acid which it absorbs from the air, and this nitric acid combines with lead to form a very soluble in poisonous nitrate of lead, it is much more dangerous than even purer. Water, after standing for a short time in contact with a leaden surface. Rainwater intended for drinking or cooking purposes ought, therefore, never to be collected from lead or tin roofs, transmitted through lead pipes, nor under any circumstances stored in lead lined cisterns of any kind.

   

  Years back poisoning from lead was possible from industrial run off, from pain, and from many many sources.  Today, we have exposure to other chemicals but lead poisoning exposure has dropped somewhat as we use lead free gas, lead free paint and as we endeavor even to go fiber optic with HDMI cables and other silicon based conductors.

• Bed Bugs
  
  

  Bed Bugs.–The bedbug is a small but plainly visible ovoid-shaped bug, giving off a peculiar nauseous odor. It is of a reddish brown or rusty color with some discoloration on the abdomen and is furnished with a puncturing or sucking apparatus. The eggs are tiny white oval bodies. As many as 6 to 50 batches are laid in cracks of beds, furniture, picture frames, wall paper, crevices of woodwork, floors, etc. Each batch of eggs develops in from 6 to 11 weeks, and several batches may be hatched in a season. One generation succeeds another as long as the temperature remains sufficiently elevated.

  Not exactly the type of thing that many people worry about much in the twentieth century a hundred years after the writing of this article, but these pests are possible in modern times from foreign countries to Mediterranean cruises to homes and beds that are infested accidentally or through neglect.

  They hibernate during cold weather, during which season the insect is merely stupefied and renews its activities upon the return of warm surroundings. It is found in the dwellings of man, but other species of the same family have been found upon birds, as the common chimney swallow, pigeons and bats.

  The bedbug comes out at night and begins to bite and annoy. It conceals itself very cleverly and quickly in the day time or when surprised by a sudden light at night. It lives on the blood of man particularly, but can exist on food of other insects. It thrives best on filth and in old houses can keep alive without food for a year.

  Bedbugs are said to transmit smallpox. There is a possibility of their carrying the germs of typhoid fever and leprosy, but this fact has not been proven as yet. The bite is poisonous to some individuals, resulting in inflammation at the seat of the bite. This is supposed to be due to the same secretion which gives the characteristic nauseous odor.