I asked my grandfather what happened at the end of a battle and he said people had to be de-loused. obviously asking what this was i was told about a machine with pipes and a handle that was used on troops particularly used on those who had been in trenches occupied by italians, a pipe with yellow green powder was pumped up trouser legs and arms as it was 'known' that italian troops were covered in lice! although this process was stopped after the war as the powder was found to cause cancer. was this common practice folks? shocking jonathan
The whole population of Naples was 'De loused' by the Field hygene bods in October of '43 by blowing DDT up and down - blouses - skirts - trousers - shirts even infants diapers didn't seem to hurt anyone Cheers
Tom. My late father bought many fruit trees. it was like living in an orchard. I can see him now with his puffer dusting the blooms with DDT until one day his paper headlined with DDT banned as a known carcinogen. As you have said he had been dusted down with it. Eventually it was withdrawn from use.
Wills Like everyone else - we just didn't know that even smoking caused cancer- now we have the ludicrous EU granting millions to Tobacco Famers - and promoting a NO Smoking campaign - DDT didn't SEEM to hurt anyone - AT THE TIME.....! Cheers
Ron Tee wrote about lice in his book "A British Soldier Remembers" "Nearly always when we went into deserted farmhouses we came out with lice. Our worse experience of this kind was when we entered the places the Germans had been sleeping in behind Monte Cassino. When we came out, we lifted our pants and there were hundreds of them creeping up our ankles and legs. We finally got rid of them by washing them off with gasoline". Lesley
Lesley That is the main reason that we Tank men always slept near or in our Tanks as we saw the Infantry trying to get rid of the blood suckers after sleeping in houses etc....we didn't need that hassle....some slept UNDER their Tank ....but usually just once...! Cheers
From the standpoint of human toxicity, DDT has been proven to be one of the safest chemicals to use around humans. Basically, you would have to be smothered by it to have any harm result. It has gotten a bad rap, mostly because of the book "Silent Spring", but it has saved millions of human lives. Banning it has led to a great increase in Malaria deaths, especially in Africa.
