Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-09-05

the six days veneer of dust-or mud
that inevitably covers them from top to
toe.
Their clothing receives more elab-
crate. If less frequent. attention. The
clothing question is handled in this
way. At nearly every large camp and
hospital in the war zone the health au-
thorities have installed what is known
as a station de proprete." Translated
literally. station de proprete" means
Cleanliness station"
The station de proprete is equipped to
sterilize clothing at the rate OF thou
sands of suits a day Sometimes the
work is done by steam in a deserted
factory: sometimes the process takes
place in a farm clubhouse, where an
Abandoned traction engine has been
converted to the business in hand
sometimes the sterilization is not done
by steam at all, but by the deadly fumes
of formaline. But-no matter how or
where-it Is done, and done efficiently.
however rude the hastily constructed
means may seem.
Once month each regiment at the
front marches or rides to the nearest
station de proprete: divests itself of it's
soiled raiment, and spends half an hour
in the adjoining shower baths. while its
uniforms pass through the steam or
formaline process. When that regiment
starts back to its post at the front 1t
represents just 100 per cent Of sanitary
perfection on the march, and no life
loving bacillus would dare associate
with 1t.
The sterilization process rids the SOL
dier not only of the lurking microbe.
but likewise OF the compant ona BIZ
trench louise.
The louise is not merely an uncom-
Portable circumstance of life in the
trenches; for upon occasion he may be-
come one of its most dreaded menaces.
The louise is the sole known carrier of
typhus One bite of a typhus-infected
louise is sufficient to inoculate a man
with the terrible disease.
Buttyphus not being present in France,
the louise, so far. has not presented a
problem requiring immediate solution.
as in Serbia. Hence, no determined eff
fort to GUST the pest completely has as
yet been made, and in the neigh
borhood of the trenches he still -four
ishes. The soldier returning in clean
liness from the station de preprete,
would therefore rapidly fall victim to
a renewal of his attentions were it not
that the ever-vigilant genius of the
Pasteur Institute furnishes means Of
escape.
Experiments recently made by the
army laboratory at the institute have
proved that the louise cannot live in the
presence of the fumes of certain vege-
table essences, notably oil of eucaIyp-
tus Quantities of these essences are
continually being prepared at the army
laboratory and shipped in tiny walls to
the front. Each soldier, on going into
the trenches. Is given one of these walls
together with a small square of cotton
and a safety pin. Thus supplied. he mas
only to moisten the cotton with drop
or two of oil and pin it underneath his
Jacket to guarantee himself immunity
from the ubiquitous trench louise, and,
by the same token. from typhus, should
that deadly malady. by any miracle, ever
penetrate the defense SO carefully
erected against it by the army health
service.
Hygienic order about the camps and
in the trenches is enforced rigidly by
the health service. Each day special
details Of men gather up and burn or
bury every scrap Of dangerous refuse
in the war zone. Each cantonment Is
provided with its system of refuse
trenches, drains and sewers. Nothing
capable OF attracting flies Is left above
ground II any way can be found to
bury 1t. Drains and refuse trenches,
where flies and mosquitoes might 9TH
eywise penetrate Ind breed. are con-