Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1889-06-06
DANGER IN M,caoees.

DANGER m MICROBES.
Extracts from Pref Hlrst's Lecture %
Disease-Breeding Gers.
DR.. Hirst said the microscope Of .
power to increase objects thousand
fold would be required to distinguish .
disease germ, and the number of germs
could not be told. It has been demon
strated that one single germ or micr0be
inoculated into q person will, in q few
minutes. multiply with Incredible ra-
pidity. The germ breeds every Sec
ond, and in course of an hour millions
have been known to be born.
To know something about the germs
that causes the infectious diseases.
such as smallpox. typhoid fever.
diphtheria, yellow fever and all other
contagious diseases, we must look Tor
a different germ for each disease.
which has its own peculiar and differ
ent germ. Though they resemble each
other in appearance and in their man
ner of work, they are very hard to dis
tinguish apart, and this can only be
done by competent chemist.
There are very few families that have
not felt, with sorrow, the power of
these dreadful microbes, and no mat
ter how much cleanliness is preserved
there is always danger. All infectious
diseases originate from these small
microbes.
The action of a germ is usually the
same. They enter the body through q
cut, the nose, the air we breathe and
the water we drink. They go until
they reach the right side of the heart.
Here they are halted for time, but
gradually force their way through to
the lungs. They continue, and enter
the intestines, next then the spleen,
from there into the blood-vessels, and
then a clear path to the heart, which
soon forces them through the whole
system.
People ought not to breathe in q
sick-room more than is absolutely nee
essary, and should abstain from being
connected with any disease to which
germs belong. A room in which q
person with contagious disease is ly-
ing should be thoroughly disaffected
by the burning of sulphur. Putrifica-
ton or decomposition springs forth as
deadly as any germ. If piece of de-
composed meat, which has been ex-
posed to the air, should be taken and
placed over cut, it would result in
blood poison and a speedy death.
''You are aware" said the doctor,
THAT in making wine the bottle is to
be thoroughly air tight, and if not so
the wine will soon begin to work and
turn sour. Well, if you should take a
few drops of this sour wine and place
them in a bottle of good wine by the
aid of the microscope the germs could
be plainly seen doing their
destructive work, and it would
not be long before the good
wine would be turned into another
chemical, vinegar. These germs are
always floating in the air until they
find some one who has not the proper
chemical proportions to combat against
them. An experiment was made on
forty-eight rabbits with one drop Of
decomposed blood, which was pecu-
liar substance resembling the alkaloids,
such as morphia, opium, nicotine. 1t
was injected into the rabbits, and be-
fore twenty-four hours had passed half
of them had died, and ten drops caused
the death of the others in q few hours.
what an effect it must have upon
the human race! We are subject to
exposure constantly; every breath we
take is filed with germs of various
diseases. The water especially that is
furnished by the city of Philadelphia is
not fit to drink, but this can be over
come by thoroughly boiling it and using
a weak preparation Of bi-carbonate Of
mercury" Philadelphia Press.