Don't panic, but it seems the head lice season is upon us.

Our grand-daughter Jeannie came home from playgroup last week with a note that very responsibly warned parents of a general outbreak.

Head lice normally affect children. They are most vulnerable because they mix so freely with other youngsters, often head to head. Nits can’t fly; they transfer through contact.

They are a normal aggravation for parents and a normal affliction for children, even though youngsters are often unaware they have a batch of little beasts living on their head.

Years ago, when Nora the Nit Nurse did school inspections, our daughter Sian came home with a note that informed us she had them.

My wife Maria explained the situation to her, as delicately as possible, but rather than becoming distraught, she was delighted. “Oh goody,” she said. “My own pets.”

Nora no longer does her school rounds: she was phased out in the 1980s and 1990s to avoid embarrassing children. Instead, the onus was left to parents to keep an eye on their own offspring.

But the problem seems to have escalated in the last 30 years and there have been four recent petitions to the Prime Minister asking for the return of Nora the Head Explorer and a net mums survey three years ago found that 88% of parents want nit nurses back in schools.

Nora might not be able to treat the nits but she can sound the alarm and make parents aware of an infestation. Mum and dad may be scrupulous about washing their children’s hair but they do not necessarily know what to look for.

NHS Choices website says head lice are about the size of a sesame seed and survive by biting the scalp and sucking blood. Which is not nice.

The female lays eggs in sacs which cling to individual hairs; these hatch in seven to 10 days and, 10 to 14 days later, they are ready to lay eggs of their own.

“The most common places for head lice to lurk are in the hair behind the ears and at the nape of the neck. If you still can’t spot any lice, comb the child’s hair with a special ‘nit comb’. These are available from most chemists. It’s easier to spot head lice as they fall out if you comb the hair over a piece of white paper.”

Ordinary shampoo will not kill them. Lotions and sprays are available from the chemist but the best method is wet-combing the hair with a nit comb.

It’s not a nice job, but someone has to do it. If you want to get rid of those unwanted pets.

 

Those old patent remedies had one affect: once taken, they were never forgotten.

The memories about Fennings’ Fever Cure and other over-the-counter medicines from 50 or 60 years ago continue to be sent in.

Thomas Parker, of Linthwaite, asked: “I wonder if any of your readers remember a product called De Witts back and kidney pills?” He took it years ago, although he was warned it could have a strange side effect: it turned your wee green.

Thomas said: “I could hardly wait for the day following to see if it actually worked and it did. It also cured my bad back.”

Thomas used to be our mobile greengrocer back in the 1970s when Maria and I lived in Beaumont Park, which also speaks of another age. Who remembers the convenience of a mobile shop? How many are left today?

But, back to Fennings. Norman Mellor, of Meltham, says: “It was my mother’s cure-all and so, my brother and myself had to be really ill to tell her, as we were given a dose of the vile stuff.”

Like a previous reader, he said that swallowing it felt like the enamel had been taken off his teeth.

”There is one other patent medicine that my mate’s parents gave them once a week and that was brimstone and treacle and believe me, you did not want to be around them three or four hours later.” Whatever do you mean, Norman?

Dave Whitworth, of Mount, says Fennings’ Fever Cure was also his mother’s favourite remedy when he was a child.

“I hated the stuff. In her words ‘It made you want to spit sixpences’, which I think pretty well summed it up. I remember once, when I was a young apprentice at Hopkinsons in Birkby in the 1950s, I started the week feeling decidedly off-colour and by Tuesday felt really ill and shivery, probably sickening for ‘flu. I went to see the foreman who said: ‘Tek yourself home lad and get your mother to give you some Fennings’ Fever Cure and you’ll be able to come back in on Friday’.

“Needless to say, he didn’t see me again that week.”

David Bradford says: “When I was very young, my father, who worked at Johnson’s quarries in Crosland Moor, always had a cure if any of the family – there were four of us – had any cuts and bruises, muscle-ache and pains of any description. The lotion my dad prescribed was called ‘Crosland Moor’ stuff.

“My sister Margaret tells me there were three ingredients that made up the lotion in the bottle: methylated spirits, olive oil and one other which she can’t remember. What we do remember is that, after shaking up the bottle before use and applying, within a reasonably short space of time most things felt better. We would be interested to hear if any of your readers have ever heard of the Crosland Moor stuff.”