Scientific American, JULY 1944
"The most discussed of the new insecticides is dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane, shortened to DDT but also called Gesarol. This compound has remarkable power to kill insects, particularly body lice--the 'cooties' of World War I. Prevalence of typhus, carried by body lice, in the Mediterranean theater of this war has emphasized its value. DDT's effectiveness in war may well be overshadowed by its value in peace. Painstaking investigations have shown it to be signally effective against many of the most destructive insects that feed upon crops."
