The National tribune., 1885-06-18
plete the exterminating process. Just as the
water had fairly begun to boil,

plete the extermlnatlng process just AS tne
water had fairly begun to boil,
THE BUGLE SOUNDED THE FALL IN"
and five minutes later the regiment pulled out
No doubt many who read this will appreciate
the pickle we were in, and can imagine the gro
tesque picture we presented as we hastily fished
our steaming garments out of the kettle and
carried them along on sticks until they had
cooled sufficiently for us to wiring them out
Most of the boys backs, where the pedicats had
been pasturing for days, looked like an illumi-
mated war map; some had blouses while others
were fain to cover their nakedness with blank
cts or ponchos. Not till the first halt an hour
later, did we succeed in getting ourselves into
presentable condition. Our predicament at
forded great fun fer the other companies of the
regiment.
As we have seen the boiling scheme was the
most thorough means of putting the pedicuLus
in such a condition that he could no longer mo-
lest or make US afraid. 1t not only disposed of
him, with his sisters. his cousins and his aunts
but also brought to an untimely end all the
eggs or 'nits," thus preventing the birth of a
new generation TO join the devastating forces.
Herein lay the advantage Of very hot water
over that universal weapon, the thumb-nail,
which slew its millions. This was none the less
effective as far it went, but it was good deal
slower, requiring time, patience and zeal. You
always had TO hunt for your ped'catRs aud catch
him first. When this was accomplished you
were pretty sure to have the deadwood on him.
But the thumbnail could not reach ont into
the future, SIS it were, like the foaming camp
kettle, aud prematurely cut off myriads yet un-
born. If you killed all in sight and left the
"nits,n the new crop would be swarming in
every seam in week.
The experience of fresh recruit in forming
the acquaintance of the pedicatas was often
amusing to the tough -hided old veterans. In
the Fall of '62 there was a chap who joined our
off Inft tsyif He
one of your real nice, nohby young fellows.
who, evidently, when lad had always been
faithful in his attendance at Sunday school !;
whose mother had kept his face clean and his
head well narrowed by the fine comb. He
hadn't been with US more than week when
one day his eye
DISCOVERED A PEDICULUs
vaguely rambling about on the sleeve of his
blouse, apparently looking for an opening to
reach the department of the interior 1t was
probably the first one the recruit had ever seen
in his life.
"What sort of bug is that?" he asked tall,
brown Corporal, who was famous IS grayback
fighter.
That's graybaek!" said the Corporal"
"a what?"
"a erayback! H'aiut ye never heard tell of
graybacks?"
mo, l never did! said the recruit.
You'll know all about em pretty sudden,
sure's yer born. They're the darndest things
you ever saw. One O. these days you'll take off
yer clothes and they'll just crawl right away
before yer eyes. Man alive, that's louise!
You'd better get behind tree somewhere and
peel yourself and go to skirmishing."
No person who saw it can ever forget the look
of supreme and unutterable disgust that sprcad
over the face of that nice Young man as he
turned and walked sadly away. He went as far
as he could get where he imagined nobody
would witness his disgrace and humiliation,
and there he spent an hour in communing with
himself and examining the innermost recesses
of his garments. When he returned he looked
as if be had made up his mind the Union wasn't
worth saving, after all he WIS ready to sell his
share in it for mess of pottage, anything
else he could get, and quit. But it may be said
of him that he developed into an excellent sol
dier. A year later he didn't make any bones
of shedding his clothes and boiling them when
ever he had a chance as the necessities of the
case required. Bat we all felt about as he did
when We were first introduced to the BedicaIus,
which was destined to stick to rs
"CLosER THAN A BROTHER"
Although too much space has already been
given to this branch of our theme, we will not
pass TO the next without mentioning two inter-
esting facts, the first bearing upon the wonder
fully rapid increase of the pediculus reStimerti.
1t used to be perpetual conundru m to the
boys, where in thunder they all came from"
In a book now lying before US it is stated that
a German ADMINISTRATORS name nobody could
pronounce if we should give it-has brought
his mathematics to bear upon the subject, and
finds that two female pedicsi viii in eight
weeks become the mothers and grandmothers
of poSterity numbering not less than ten
honSdnd! Some people might not believe this,
but old soldier will have the slightest doubt of
the entire correctness of the statement. In
deed, If required to give their opinion under
oath, the old boys, remembering the multitudes
that came like the plague of lice that was Wis.,
tied upon the Egyptians would swear that, to
the best of their knowledge and belief, the
number would be nearer ten million than ten
thousand
1t may be source of satisfaction to some to
know by just what particular mechanical pro-
cess the pediculus used to imbibe his nourish-
ment from them. The book to which we have
referred says that he inserts little tube and
then draws the blood and juices from the body
by means OF perfect suction pump. If this be
true there was an enormous amount of pump
ing going on during those four years. We may
now consider these things calmly, and, perhaps
with some interest, but 20 years ago we cared
little enough for the scientific questions in
yolved. We did not stop to inquire whether
the pediculas satisfied his appetite by pumping.
chewing, or any other way he chose. We only
knew that he always got there"