Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-04-10
Give us a Rest.
BY Kate Thorn.

Do not for a moment suppose that the
heading of this article is slang, for we do
not mean it so.
We are in sober earnest, and we want a
rest from the shower of microbes, and
bacteria, and germs generally, which are
being fired out from the brains of scientific
researchers upon long suffering and in
offensive world
If we can believe these learned men,
every i'll that flesh is heir to, from yellow
fever, and total depravity, down to corns
on the toes and profanity, is due to
germs" and doubtless we shall yet be
told that our souls salvation depends on
the kind of germs we spend our time in
propagatlng.
The world was very much happier be-
fore this craze originated. People, in
faith, believing that the God who created
them made the air for them to breathe,
and the water for them to drink, went
happily ON eating, and drinking, and
breathing, and they lived to be eighty,
ninety, and hundred years old, and they
didn t begin to suffer half the aches, and
pains, and distresses which agitate the
people today, and render their lives
burden.
Who can enjoy drink of cold spring
within it which the lens of the micro
scope reveals? Who fills his lungs with
oxygen, and takes any degree of satisfac-
ton in it, when he has been instructed
that he is breathing down typhoid fever,
| and Pneumonia, and malaria, and Asiatie
cholera? 1t is enough to make man dis
couraged to realize the thousands of perils
which beset him everywhere 1t doesn't
seem worth while to try to live. Unless
he is man with extra good courage he
feels that it is best to give life up as
hard job.
1t may be good thing to understand
the laws of health.
| A man needs to know enough to keep
warm, to keep dry, to let intoxicating
| liquors and tobocco alone, temperately, to
go to bed before midnight, to work reason
ably for a living, and to be at peace with
God and man.
| And, under these circumstances, he can
afford to let germs alone. And the less
| patent medicine advertisements he reads,
which describe all the symptoms of all the
diseases known and heard of, the better
| off he is And the same may be said of
medical works generally. Why, it is a
fact beyond question that people have lots
of imaginary diseases, simply from hear
| ing about them, and most of us die fifty
times over in imagination before the time
comes when life goes cut like the snuffing
| of candle and there Is no time to worry
about it.
And if any scientific man is about dis
covering new germ, we most devoutly
hope that it may be such germ as will
execute him on the spot before he has a
chance to record its existence, and peace to
| his ashes.
If you cannot give us something more
agreeable than disease germs, turn your
attention to something more lucrative.
Invent dish-washer, a baby-tender, or
even new variety of soap or stove black
ing; anything will be preferable to any
more disease germs.
And we feel sure that the ole'civilized
world will join us in the modest request
that we lie allowed to eat our bread and
butter and drink our weak tea in peace.
and not have our minds filled with fright
full imaginings of microscopic monsters,
which lie in wait to poison our blood,
and destroy our lungs. and send US into
early graves the victims of microbes.
Yes. gentlemen, give us rest.
| Judge Cooley, chairman of the Inter
state Commerce commission, was much
improved in health by his two months
: visit to the south, but it is not believed
; That he will be able to resume his duties
for some time to come.