ENTOMOLOGY

LOUSE BORNE DISEASES~89II. TRANSl\fISSION OF DISEASES BY LICE1. Diseases of Plrunt OriginTltaUophyta: Fwngi: A8comyccte8: GymnoasceaeAchorion 8choenleiJni (Lebert 1845), the cause of FAVUS, or POR­RIGO, a fungus disease of the hair follicles, may be spread by head liceaccording to Aubert (1879).Thallophyta: Fwngi: HyphomycetesMalas8ezia species, causing the scaly skin diseases called PITY­RIASIS, are claimed to be spread by lice by Aubert (1879).Thallophyta: Fwngi: Schizomycetes: Coccaccae'StaphylococcUll pyogcnea aureua and albus, the cause of IMPETIGOCONTA(HOSA, an acute contagious pustular inflammation of the skincan be carried by head lice, as was proven by Dewevre (189!) by removinglice from impetigo cases and placing them on the heads of healthychildren, who some days later developed the disease. This claim hasbeen supported by various authors. Widmann (1915) attempted totransmit Staph'y'lococcus septicaemia by louse bite and failed although herecovered living cocci frpm the louse feces after 60 hours but not later.In view of recent findings with other louse-borne diseases, we may expectthat infection could have been obtained by slightly abrading the surfaceon which the lice had defecated.Diplococcus intraccllularia meningitidis Weichselbaum. Pizzini(1917) found a strong parallel in two Italian outbreaks of CEREBRO­SPINAL MENINGITIS with the occurrence of lice on soldiers and civilianswho contracted the disease. Some patients were found to have intheir underclothing louse vectors of the l\Icningococcus, or they werefound to have handled ga;rments infested with such lice. The monthsduring which the disease is prevalent are those during which lice aredefinitely parasitic.. DiplococcUll pemphigi co'Tlttagiosi Manson, the cause of TROPICALIMPETIGO, is said by MacGregor (1917) to be carried by lice.Pncumococcus.-In experiments conducted by Widmann (1915), hesucceeded in making lice bite mice in which he had produced Pneumococcussepticaemia. He could not infect other mice by means of the louse bitesbut found the louse feces infective .during the first !4 hours. The cocciwere confined to the intestinal tract and did not multiply therein.