ABSTRACT

The use of insect repellents began in prehistoric times among our prehuman and prehistoric human ancestors. Many animals, including primates, are known to apply substances derived from plant and animal sources to the integument for protection against predators and ectoparasites.1 The ethnobotanical traditions of preliterate human societies include the use of plant, animal, and inorganic materials to repel insects.2 It seems probable that the test method used in prehistoric times was that of simply observing the repellent effects of fortuitous contact with a plant, animal, or inorganic substance, followed, perhaps, by simple trial-and-error experiments. The knowledge acquired was transmitted to succeeding generations by demonstration and imitation and in human societies through oral communication. Over time, the accumulated knowledge of repellents became incorporated into local folklore and sometimes into language itself, as in the words “eabane” and “lousewort.”