Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1892-02-25
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u IL Partly the Result of bacteria and
Partly Of Decomposition.
It is now almost universally admitted
that bacteria or microbes are the indi-
rect agents OF all zylnotic diseases, such
IS cholera, typhoid fever, diphtheria,
scarlet fever, erysipelas and tubercular
consumption These germs belong to
the domain Of botany, and are the sim
plest and miuutest organisms Of which
we have any knowledge. They inhabit
nearly all kinds of matter; they are al
ways found in the air wo breathe. the
food we eat. and even the purest natural
waters are never free from them.
Bacteria are also the most prolific or
ganisms of which we have any knowl-
edge, for a single bacterium may be-
come the caus&tive parent Of more than
10 500 900 descendants in day. They
are also possessed Of great vitality, for
they can be carried great distances in
water without losing the power Of pro-
ducing disease. It is difficult 10 ami
hilate some Of these germs, for they can
be frozen or even boiled without being
destroyed They may be kept dried for
years, and yet when placed in a suitable
medium will produce fermentation and
decay, or, If pathogenic, disease.
We are fortunate that only few bacte-
ria are disease producing; the great ma
jority of them are harmless benefcent
objects in nature. They are the princi-
pal agents Of oxidation Of organic mat
ter, and it is to them that we owe the
phenomena Of fermentation and decay.
They are the common scavengers Of the
earth. Were 1t not for their constant
and beneficent work the world would
soon be choked up with decaying animal
and vegetable matter, and all the higher
orders Of life would perish.
But the infectious bacteria have the
power Of celebrating heterogeneous poi
sons, known as ptomaines, and the ques-
ton whether zymotic diseases are pro-
duced by bacteria themselves or by
ptomaines cannot, in our present iinper-
feet state of knowledge. be answered
with certainty. In some cases, however,
the disease seems to come from the or
ganic poison. Thus tyrotoxicon, which
is the alkaloid produced by bacteria in
Jilt itIiltuhstliOi vi UlOduCtS u
complexus of symptoms in the human
system resembling those of cholera in
fantum; so it is very probable that tyro-
toxicon IL the chemical irritant produc-
ing this disease What Is true of chol-
era infantum is, perhaps. also true Of
typhoid fever and other filth diseases,
but not at the same stage of life.
All bacteria feast upon organic mat
ter and develop in great numbers in fer
menting solutions Of it. Their number
Is generally approximately proportional
to the amount of impurity, and there
fore may represent the relative danger
Of potable waters. A water that con-
tains large number of them should not
be used for drinking without first being
boiled. by boiling polluted water for
half an hour all the infections (but not
the harnless) bacteria in it will be de-
stroyed. If ii is then filtered to remove
the vegetable substances and aerated to
render it potable, such water can be used
with perfect safety for drinking.
Since the infectious bacteria are the
agents of all filth diseases, it should be
the aim in all sanitary analysis of water
TO determine whether they have actual
existence in the water, or, what answers
the same purpose, to determine the con
ditions favorable TO their development.
Whenever a chemical analysis reveals
the presence of sewage in water its use
should be discontinued for drinking,
without an expensive meteorological ex-
animation. Engineering Magazine.