The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1880-11-06
Germs and Thoughts Germane.

RECENT investigations have very
much added to our knowledge OF con.
tagious diseases of men and animals.
Since the discovery of infusorial life and
its propagation in liquids containing
organic matter in solution, and which at
first was supposed to be spontaneous
and self.productive, a great number OF
careful Investigations have been made.
The most accurate and successful inves.
tisator in this line has been that accom-
piished chemist, NJ. Pasteur. The result
Of more than thirty years constant work
in this direction has been to greatly SIM
pity our knowledge of yirulent diseases.
in practical manner, it has been first
surmised and then proved that the fatal
epidemics which from time to time de.
stroyed many thousands OF human
beings, sweeping in steady wave over
countries and continents, were Occa-
stoned by the presence Of filth, and that
the human system, enfeebied ny UNI
healthful conditions, offered every con-
yenience for infection and cOntagion.
Sanitary measures afforded relief, but
the precise means by which the infection
was conveyed were not understood until
after the discovery of the existence of
peculiar organisms In the blood ID,
diseased persons, and the fact that these
organisms had specific differences and
could be cultivated and reproduced with
all their specific variations and peculi-
arities. The results of many investiga-
tons have shown, for instance, that such
diseases As smallpox, yellow fever,
cholera morbus, malaria, and even boils
in mankind, are occasioned by the pres
ence in the blood of certain distinctly
different parasitic organisms, each one
peculiar in its own specific develop.
ments and each one reproductive of its
own kind byinoculation or contagion.
So in animals, it has been found that
the fatal hog-cholera, the parturient
fever of COWS and the frequent and as
fatal chicken.cholera and other similar
epizootic diseases are caused and spread
by means of specific germs which can
be bred or cultivatsaip watAry solutions
of organic matter, one drop 6fwhieh
infected matter injected into the veins
of any animal liable to that particular
disease, is sufficient to produce that dis
ease in its most virulent form. 1t is a
vast help in combating disease,in man or
in animals,to know its character. That
is the main part Of the battle. That
provides, ,useswnh means for prevention
and sux@4ib,e as to ssec4 ia treat
merit. ! Int resention il tho lest cure.
| And II IS 4 Wonderful help that We know
that the germs of the most vjrulent dis
eases enter the system either by the
stomach or the lungs, or by contact
with previously diseased and exposed
surfaces.
This knowledge, therefore, should put
us on our guard against filth and foulnsss
of air, of food, of water, and every one
Of our surroundings; moreover, 1t
should caution us to maintain the most
perfect health possible bl.ths use of the
most nutritiops 4oM, abundant wateri
+, the avoidanceaf alSyeal thin excessee
of whatever HaI other negative q
positive: for it is very certain that al
though these germs may be present, yet
in systems fortified by vigorous health
they find no acceptable resting place,
and are disorsanized and disappear, un-
less they find such conditions as favor
their enormously rapid production in
the blood. -RuraL New Yorker,