The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1880-08-05
FLEAS AND OTHER THINGS.

To the genuine savage, no insects are
noxious, not even those bloodthirsty para
sites which we call by the general name of
''vermin." A savage cares nothing for
vermin of any kind, and it is not until man
is far removed from savages that he objects
to their presence. One African traveller, for
example, think the late Mr.. j. Baines-
was Hospitality entertained in the hut of q
Kaffir chief. During the night he was
awakened by the most intolerable pricking
sensation all over his body. On starting up
he found that his host, with the kindest in
tentions, had spread his own kaross, or fur
cloak, over his guest. The kaross was
swarming with vermin, and they had taken
full advantage of their good fortune in find
ing such victim. He was obliged to go
out of the hut into the open air, and clear
himself and his clothes of his tormentors be-
fore he could hope for rest. Yet the owner
of the kaross could have felt no mconve-
nience from them, or he would not have
transferred them to his guest. A curiously
similar incident is recorded in the 'sArabian
Nights" Lanes edition.) In the story of
"Noureddin and the Fair Persian" the
Caliph is represented as meeting fisher
man, and exchanging clothes with him for
the purpose of Disgusting himself more eff
fectually. Scarcely had the change been eff
fected than the Caliph felt himself bitten in
all quarters, and cried out with pain. The
fisherman, accustomed from childhood to
consider the presence of vermin as a neces-
sary adjunct of existence, simply advises the
Caliph to take no notice of them, but to al
low them to go on biting until he was ac-
customed to them, and would feel them no
longer. In Knights Historical Parallels
the same idea is inferred. There was a GER
tain Swedish hero, named Starcharetus, who
is represented Us having lived about the be-
ginning of the Christian era, but IS evidently
q wholly fictitious character. He performed
q series of exploits, was gigantic in form,
and lived to three times the usual age of
man, and dying at last a violent death in
tentionally procured by himself The fol-
lowing adventure befell him in his old age.
Nine warriors of tried valor offered to
Helgo, King of Norway, the alternative of
doing battle against the nine, or losing his
bride upon his marriage-day. Helgo thought
it best to appear by a champion, and re-
quested the assistance of Starcharetus, who
was SO eager for the adventure that, in fol-
lowing Helgo to the appointed place, he
performed in one day, and on foot, jour
ney which had occupied the King, who had
travelled on horseback, IL days On the
which was the appointed day, as
cending a mountain, which was the place of
meeting, he chose spot exposed to the
wind and snow, and then, as if it were |
spring, throwing off his clothes, he set him
self to dislodge the feas that had nestled in
Them" Here the narrator expresses no
surprise at the presence of the fleas. He
that the hero's clothes would be full
of them, and that the operation in question
would have been the usual employment in
spring He only calls attention to the re-
fact that Starcharetus took the
trouble of performing it in winter. That
The hardy champion disdained or was unac-
4uainted with "the fiimsy artifces of the
bath, )" as Thackeray puts the point, is SELF
evident. Clean skins and clothing are in
with vermin and, indeed, a
theory has not been wanting that the para
sites in question are directly beneficial to
,he non-washing races of mankind by serv-
ng as succedaneum for soap and water,
md, by the irritation which they cause,
keeping up healthy action of the skim
Good Words.