Pediculosis capitis in a zoological context.

Abstract

were ever they foolish enough to leave the protection and shelter afforded them by their hosts. Indeed, this certain death does quickly come to every louse when it is too old, too sick or too injured to cling onto its host any longer. Lice can only live on a host; off it they can only die. In consequence, no louse ever voluntarily leaves a host except for another in contact, and the whole life-cycle from egg to old age must be completed actually on the host. Seen in this light it seems so obvious that human lice, too, are spread by contact that we may properly doubt many of the statements made by the older medical publications concerning transmission. Head lice were supposed to be spread by hats, combs, pillows, chair backs, school buses, swimming pools, bedding, pets, gymnasium mats, etc., etc. In fact there is not the