When the professions of printer and typesetter

still required manual dexterity, and the typesetter, if he was a “Swiss swordsman,” had to defend himself with his sword against the know-it-all printer. It so happened that the apprentice had to endure a little joke once. Thirsty for knowledge and still a young beginner, he naturally believed everything the master or journeyman told him. This was also the case with the story he was told about the fight against lead lice. The apprentice was told that lead lice were very dangerous, extremely small, difficult to detect and therefore difficult to combat. They lived in the corners of the type cases and there in the front corners of the letter compartments. But when exposed to water, they came to life. A typesetting ship was prepared with the curious apprentice. It was placed at a slight angle, two bars were used to form a square, and a small glass of water was poured into the space created. Then, armed with tweezers, the hunt began. A small pile of dust and lint was scooped up from a corner, and a lead louse was caught in the process. The apprentice stayed close by so as not to miss anything. The journeyman dropped the catch into the water in the boat and, in an excited voice, asked the victim to lean close over the boat to discover the famous louse. Immediately, the journeyman pushed the upper bridge down with gusto and the supposed louse, along with its water bath, splashed into the frightened apprentice's face.