The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-02-01
TIE BACTERIA FAD.
Science Como Mad In tho Hands Of E:nthu.
] Ailats-

SCIENCE Como Mad I'm tho Hnnds of E.nthn.
siasts-
These doctors arc wcarisomo lot,
observes the Milwaukee Sentinel II
the world were foolish enough to at,
tempo to follow all their suggestions
and to avoid all that hygicnic ornnks
declare to DO dangerous, living would
be impossible except under conditions
that would make living intolcrable.
.Ihc latest fad, next to tho disposition
tof surgeons to oxtirpato all the impor.
,tant organs of the body, is to find
bacteria everywhere, and to warn
people against doing, for fear Of bac-
terra, what it is necessary TO do in order
to get along ut all. A Buffalo doc
tor has found nothing better to oc-
cupy his time or no bottcr way to ad-
ivertisc himself than to examine under
tho microscope tho straps n the street
cars by which unhappy wrotches main
tain an upright position when the cars
.nro crowded. He finds these straps
fairly recking with bacteria" This
is strange use of tho word reclc. We
might as we'll speak of tho atmosphere
ins rocking with birds. Reel1inR means
isteamihg or smoking. Iacteria have
just as much right to DO everywhere Ms
birds and butterflies hnvo to fly in tho
mir, and they arU for tho most pnrt MS
harmless Tho idea the doctors seek to
convey is that where there il micro
scopic ltfe there is danger to health. II
there rs space on earth where micro
scoplc life does not exist man can noa
exist on that spot Tho air wo breathe.
the water we drink, Is full of harmless
aniinalculac, and would not he lifo-sus.
tanning otherwise.
We are warned against sncczing, OK
!ceT1 INTO btrctcrium receiver, for fear
OF letting loose into tho air destructive
;bactcria to attack the nasal membranes
OF other folks We arc warned against
receiving money-hard money or paper
money-without first putting IL through
n disinfecting process. We urc told to
10 through the world with II straincr
over the nose and the mouth, with car
bolizod gloves, md so on. In short, IL
we arc to stand any show Of living to a
reasonable age we arc to shut ourselves
up In gnuzc saturated with disinfcctinp
preparations, drink distilled water, NIB
stain from every thing we like, and have
no other concern in the world thnn tho
care of health.
There arc certain reasonable sanitary
rules based on IL few fncts OF obscrva-
ton that are worthy of serious atten-
ton They are not attended to orli-
'namly, because hyHicnio crun ks urge SO
many ridiculous and impossible rules
and SO constantly shock the common
SENSE of mankind. To nsk u rational
being to refrain from grusping friends
hand for fear of bacteria, to deny him
self the pleasure OK osculation, and ull
That, is too much. If these doctors per.
siss ill pointing ont microscopic lifo
wherever thoy find It tho thing il to rec
oSnize the fact that microscopic life is
edible and ~holcsome-rav, fried,
.stewed, baked or i'll any other form.
We are mado up-all of us and in ovcry
part of us-of microscopic organisms.
a man is simply Il collection of such or
ganisms, every minute particle of his
being having an Independent life. There
is nothing to be frightened at bacteria
have been il the world good while,
and enough people have managed to
live to mako it "a pretty active world