biomedicalephemera:

GI spraying a DDT/kerosene mixture in a southern Italy house, during post-WWII Mediterranean antimalarial campaign. 1945.

I love how he’s smoking a pipe while spraying kerosene and DDT on a child.

WWII - A U.S. soldier demonstrating DDT-hand spraying equipment while applying the insecticide.

 De-lousing both soldiers and POW to get rid of body lice was critical in controlling the spread of typhus. Transmitted by the body louse, typhus has a nasty reputation of killing even more soldiers than combat during wars prior to the invention of DDT.

1942. Troops getting dusted with DDT mix to eliminate typhus-causing body lice living in the clothing.

GI spraying a DDT/kerosene mixture in a southern Italy house, during post-WWII Mediterranean antimalarial campaign. 1945.

I love how he’s smoking a pipe while spraying kerosene and DDT on a child.