The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-04-12
WHAT CAUSES DISEASES.
what Bacteria Are and How and
where they Exlst-An Idea of their
SIze-FiIth Is their Nourishment.
1Boston Herald

With the name bacteria almost every
one is familiar, but little, however, is
actually known Of them by the average
non-professional; hence brief descrip-
ton Of them is likely to be of interest.
Bacteria are minute organisms; in fact,
they arethe smallest of living forms. AS
one writer has said, they form the bound
airy line of life; beyond them life does
not exist. so far, at least, as our present
microscopic expedients reach, and these
are not small. The strongest Of our mag
nifying lenses, the immersion system Of
Hartman, give magnifying power of
from three thousand to four thousand
diameters, and could we view man I'M
der such lens, he would appear as large
as Mount Blanc or even Chimborazo
But even under this colossal amplifica-
ton the smallest bacteria do not appear
larger than the points and commas of a
good print These smallest bacteria may
be compared with man about as grain
of sand to Mount Blanc.
Bacteria assume many forms-there
are about two hundred varieties now
known. Some under the microscope ap-
pear as balls or eggs, others as rods of
various length or as mere fibers, while
yet others are of spiral form, like cork
screws. The bodies consist of an almost
colorless substance, in which numerous
shining granules are imbedded. Under
conditions unfavorable to them, bacteria
are motionless, and certain kinds never
appear to move, but where the condi-
tions are favorable to them those which
have motion are excessively lively.
PRESENT EVERYWHERE.
These little living forms are present
everywhere the air reaches, but they
swarm only where the temperature is
favorable and there is plenty of nourish-
ment. When there is decomposition,
fermentation or putrefaction they devel-
op in masses. The action of bacteria is
seen in the following simple experiment:
Put piece of meat or piece of any
vegetable in a glass of water and let it
stand. After a time the water will
thicken up more or less, and then be-
come milky. The milkiness is duo to
the bacteria which fill the water. When
putrefaction is ended, and all the organic
matter in whatever was put into the
water has been consumed by the bacte-
ria then the water clears up and loses
entirely the offensive smell which it had.
Without nourishment the bacteria are
no longer active, nor are they develop
ing as they were while putrefaction was
going on. They sink to the bottom of
the glass, and there as white sediment
lie motionless. After time they die.
As regards the activity with which
bacteria multiply, many of them can
double their numbers every hour when
under the best conditions. When they
do that then, Professor Law tells us,
single bacterium would in twenty-four
hours produce no less than 1871, 22o.
At The end of forty -eight hours the num-
Der of offspring would number 2s1 ,5O0,-
600, 900, and would fill half pint meas
ure, all produced from a single germ
measuring 1-15, 900 of an inch ''Fortu-
nately, however, bacteria rarely SO prop
agate themselves; they will meet with
all sorts of drawbacks, and thus, in spite
Of their enormous fertility, the survivors
are in general only enough to keep fair
balance in nature" But all bacteria do
not multiply as rapidly as this; there are
some which multiply very slowly-those
which cause tuberculosis, for instance.
As already stated, bacteria exist every
where the air reaches; like other living
things, oxygen is essential to them.
Where decaying matter abounds there
are they to be found In the greatest num-
bers. On the tops Of the highest noun
tains and in mid-ocean they exist, but It
is in such places that their number is the
smallest.
INFLUENCE ON HEALTH.
Since we live in swarms of these mi
mute beings, and almost everything about
us teens with them, we naturally ask
what influence they have on health.
Science has conclusively proved that
while many of the different forms of
bacteria are practically harmless to men,
here are some which seize upon him,
and at times destroy him. 1t is known
beyond all reasonable doubt that certain
forms of bacteria produce certain dis
eases. tuberculosis, for instance; there
can scarcely be question but that it is
caused by special bacteria, and the most
of the physicians of today will say that
without these bacteria no tuberculosis;
or, in other words, unless that peculiar
form of bacteria is present in a lung,
there cannot be consumption of it,
Then there is an anthrax, malignant
and fatal disease of certain animals, and
identical with wool sorters' and rag
pickers' disease; that we know to be
caused by bacteria, for the same has
been found and its identity established
beyond all question.
The inference to be drawn from the |
foregoing is clear. All bacteria, be they |
harmless or do they threaten man, al |
ways swarm in the greatest numbers
and multiply with the greatest rapidity |
where filth abounds; and the more filth |
the more bacteria. One can never be |
scot free from bacteria, but he can feel |
quite free from the harmful sort if he
lives in pure air, with good surround
ings, practices cleanliness, and has good
water to drink and food to eat. OF
course, disease germs may reach him
even then, but he will have very little
rnocon fo faar fhnmL