The British also developed a combination of naphthalene, creosote, and iodoform made into a paste which could be applied to the seams of uniforms with a good result of eliminating lice in just a few hours.
'Cooties' was the nickname American soldiers gave to body lice – the itchy little bugs that burrowed into skin, hair, clothing, blankets and just about anything made of natural materials. For many soldiers, cooties were as relentless as their human enemies.
A lighted candle was fairly effective but the skill of burning the lice without burning your clothes was only learnt with practice. George Coppard described how this worked: "The things lay in the seams of trousers, in the deep furrows of long thick woolly pants, and seemed impregnable in their deep entrenchments.
Throughout ancient Egypt, people were tormented with lice. Remedies for the common person included eating a special meal mixture with warm water, and then vomiting it up. Others believed a recipe of spices mixed with vinegar rubbed on the scalp over a few days would suffocate them out.
It was estimated that 97% of the soldiers in the trenches had lice. Trench conditions made it perfect for lice to thrive. A female louse can lay up to a dozen eggs and they would hatch in one to two weeks. It wasn't until 1918 that doctors attributed “trench fever” to lice.
Soldiers used condoms to protect their “other weapons” by covering the muzzles of their gun to prevent mud and other material from clogging the barrel.
The stink of war
Stinking mud mingled with rotting corpses, lingering gas, open latrines, wet clothes and unwashed bodies to produce an overpowering stench. The main latrines were located behind the lines, but front-line soldiers had to dig small waste pits in their own trenches.
Lice for Building Immunity
Recent studies have shown the benefits of having lice. While it may sound ridiculous and unbelievable, there's scientific evidence that a certain kind of louse can be beneficial in reducing the chances of developing immune deficiencies.
The 1600s – 1700s
In the 1600s, humans started trying different concoctions to rid themselves of the dreaded lice. Parents were told to give their children everything from tomato juice to a drink mix made of vinegar and cheese whey.
Ancient Egyptians Were Plagued With Lice
Egyptians mummies and archaeological findings within tombs have been preserved since 3000 BC. Early mummified heads have been studied and found that they were literally crawling with lice. Some specimens had over 400 mummified lice on their heads.
Artillery. Artillery was the most destructive weapon on the Western Front. Guns could rain down high explosive shells, shrapnel and poison gas on the enemy and heavy fire could destroy troop concentrations, wire, and fortified positions. Artillery was often the key to successful operations.
The head louse, or Pediculus humanus capitis, is a parasitic insect that can be found on the head, eyebrows, and eyelashes of people. Head lice feed on human blood several times a day and live close to the human scalp. Head lice are not known to spread disease.
Fortunately for the lice population, if not for their hosts, conditions of trench warfare proved ideal for their rapid spread. Of the three types of lice - head, pubic and body - the latter was far and away the most common. Lice could only thrive in warm conditions - which was provided by body heat and clothing.
World War I was the first conflict where shaving was required. There were two reasons: to get a proper fit and seal on the gas mask and personal hygiene.
Newly dug trenches and tunnels filled with rainwater; muddy fields slowed the movement of troops during the day; and cold nighttime temperatures caused thousands to endure frostbite. However, little research has been done on the environmental conditions that may have caused the torrential rains and unusual cold.
About once every week to ten days, Soldiers would go to the rear for their shower. Upon entering the shower area they turned in their dirty clothing. After showering they received new cloths. They had their choice for size: small, medium, or large.
In existence for basically as long as humans have been around, lice aren't likely to become extinct any time soon. In particular, head lice are very common, and getting them is not an indication of improper hygiene.
The head lice may have become resistant to the treatment. If the treatment used does not kill the head lice, your health care provider and pharmacist can help you be sure the treatment was used correctly and may recommend a completely different product if they think the head lice are resistant to the first treatment.
The ancients managed their lice by suffering through them, combing them out, affectionately picking them off each other's heads, dousing them in oil, or simply shaving. (Thus the wigs.)
Preventing Lice
Your child might have a positive blood type hence prone to lice infestations. However, the rest of the family members are likely to be blood type negative, and because lice don't like switching rhesus factors, they will not be affected as much.
African American people can still get head lice. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) state that African American people get head lice much less frequently than other people. The reason for this may be that most head lice in the United States have claws that more easily grip onto uncoiled hair.
Introduce natural predators (Ladybugs)
Ladybugs can eat 100 lice a day!
Rats - brown and black - thrived literally in their millions among trenches in most Fronts of the war, be it Eastern, Italian, Gallipoli - but primarily the Western Front. Trench conditions were ideal for rats. Empty food cans were piled in their thousands throughout No Man's Land, heaved over the top on a daily basis.
Getting to sleep
When able to rest, soldiers in front line trenches would try and shelter from the elements in dugouts. These varied from deep underground shelters to small hollows in the side of trenches – as shown here.
'Father Pinard' in the French trenches
Generally, soliders were issued with ½ liter of Pinard per day, but this could fluctuate depending on the logistical situation. Soldiers were sometimes issued beer, cider, or brandy in lieu of Pinard, but it remained the most common alcoholic drink consumed at the front.