The various fleas need only to be mentioned. While not as secretive as the bed-bug, it may be said that the flea is by no means a harmless parasite, for it has within recent years been thought, with a fair degree of probability, to he one of the chief means of disseminating the plague, the flea of the rat being the most important transmitter. The clog flea is at home on both the dog and the cat, and is equally domiciled on the human individual.
The order of parasitic bugs is one of the most wide-spread and obnoxious. Its habits are nocturnal, as is well known. The animal does all its blood sucking at night ; and by reason of its flat body it is able to hide during the day in dark, flat cracks in furniture or carpentry. In some persons its bite is somewhat poisonous. The bed-bug usually takes from seven to ten weeks to grow from the egg to the adult, and one can calculate on this time in efforts at eradication. The burning of sulphur and formaldehyde-gas in apartments with the idea of eliminating the hugs is largely a delusion and a snare. They must be vigorously attacked with kerosene or carbolic acid, and the warfare must be kept up unceasingly.
The different forms of lice are of much importance. The Pediculus
cdpitis, or head-louse, and the Pediculus vestimenti, or body-louse, are found very abundantly upon individuals of filthy habits, and may be transferred readily from them to people who have more careful modes of living. The method of attack is by means of thorough cleansing of the head, careful and incessant combing with a fine-tooth comb, and the use of alcoholic solutions of penetrating substances, such as kerosene, larkspur, etc.
The itch-mite is another insect parasite that deposits its eggs in the skin, usually in the soft parts between the bases of the fingers, where it leaves short lines showing the burrowing. The insect itself burrows beneath the skin, and, if not promptly taken in hand, may spread over a large part of the body, giving rise to ulcers and to very severe eczematous-like inflamma tions. Absolute cleanliness and the use of antiseptic salves are the remedies to be employed against the itch. It is usually wise to consult a physician with reference to the elimination of the burrows and the allaying of the irritation caused by the scratching.
For a discussion of parasitic worms, see the article on WoRms.