South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-09-18
SUBMITS To LICE
TO AID SOLDIERS
Former Chicago Official Lends
Body to Help "COotie"
Experiments.

There is in Washington "a man
inconspicuously doing his bit or his
all. for his country 10y serving as a
host for body lice, The coolies
OF the war zone. lie is cooperating
in very personal and intimate de-
gree with entomologists of the
United States department OF agricul-
tu.e who are striving, under the di-
rection of the council Of research OF
the council of national defense. to
find preventives and exterminators
for the pests that not only annoy and
irritate American soldiers, but that
spread trench fever and other dis
eases among them.
This man formerly served the city
Of Chicago in public capacity. He
has a son with the American eXpe-
dictionary forces in France, and
when ne volunteered TO be a subject
in the experimental work of the en-
tomologists ne said he was willing
to do anything that would help out
the boys over there. Valuable data
I'm regard TO the control of the
"cootie" has been obtained from the
parasites living on his body, and
moving pictures of them have been
taken through Il microscope. The
pictures are 20 be magnitied and
shown at army camps before scieu-
fists and army officers engaged i'm
Ge-lousinc work
What Scientists Aim to DO.
The entomOlogists in addition 20
watchirg these particular "cooties''
and others confined IN glass tubes
and other places. are testing chemi-
Gals to learn their destructive action
On lice. their effect on human bodies
and their penetration OF clothing
Also. they are cooperating with
army officers IN testing laundering
and de-lousing processes. They are
trying TO add 10 the knowledge of
how 10 repel. kill or drive away the
tiny parasites that 20 many OF our
soldiers have proved more trouble
some than the Huns or the bullets OF
the Huns
One of the scientists of the bureau
OF entOm oIogy. department OF agri-
culture also is serving as a host for
the parasites. but in more restrict
eC sense than the Chicago man. His
"cooties" are confined under the
glass top OF "a wristlet, much like a
wrist watch. and they pass their eX-
istence. from the egg stage 70 the
dead adult on the skin OF his arm.
and can not move 90 any other spot
Through the glass cover the ento-
molOgist can watch the coolies as
they emerge from their shells and
go through all the stages OF their
life cycle
Extensive governmental efforts TO
devise WAYS Of overcoming the par
asitic evil are under way. Similar
efforts have been made and are be-
ing made i'm practically every cOun-
try that has large armies in the field
The war centered attention OF ento-
biologists upon body lice which
PREVIOUS 10 the conflict had not re-
ceived as much attention as scien-
lists believe they deserve.
Not Yet serious i'm Camps Here
The "cootie" has not yet appeared
in mum oers al the camps in this
country. but if 70 should do so mill
tarv authorities expect TO be ready
20 deal with it, Men serving for
long periods in the trenches. or az
other places where bathing and dis
( injecting facilities are not available.
are the principal sufferers. De-Ious-
ing stations. where thorough bath
/ ing hair clipping and disinfecuon of
clothing can be done. have been es-
+ "a 0lished iu the war zone.
The moving pictures that are 90
oe part or the campaign against the
I "cooues' show now the louise comes