The state herald. (Holyoke, Logan County, Colo.) 1887-1921, 1893-08-18


inisrisE GERMS rouSb TnEii
develop or increase in number without
being in the body Of human being,
provided always you give them the
proper conditions. These conditions
are to be found in dough which is be
ing raised with yeast. They are
warmth, moisture aud the organic mat
ter Of the -four on which the germs,
after certain changes, feed.
IL il necessary TO remember at this
point that yeast is germ growth, md
when introduced into \ mixture III elu.
t6sc OF starch, in the presence OF
warmth and moisture sets upa fcrmcn.
tation. IL the mixture be u starchy
dough the yeast first changes n portion
OF the starch into glucose and then
decomposes the glucose by changing il
into two new substances, viz: carboni,
acid gas and alcohol.
Now the gluten, which is also n con.
stituent of dough and moist starch,
affords, with the latter, an excellent
indus for the development of germs OF
disease as well as for the yeast germs
The germs of cholera, as Of typhoid
fever, would, il introduced into dough,
find very favorable conditions for thciI
growth.
! do not wish to pose" us an alarm.
list, nor am l willing to say there is
very much chance Of the germ Of
typhus. and of cholera reaching III c
stotnachs Of the people who cat bread
which has been raised with yeast. But
! have not the slightest cause TO doubt
that other diseases have been and will
be carried about in the bread.
have met journcymcn bakers, suf.
fcring from ctitaneous diseases. work
ing the dough in the bread trough
with naked hands aud arms. have
no reason TO suppose bakers arc less
liable to cutancous diseases than arc
other men, and know, as every house.
wife knows, yeast-raiscd bread must be
worked long time. This is nm OK.
ccedingly Objectionable thing from the
standpoint Of physician, for the
reason that the germs Of disease which
are in the air and dust aud on stair.
ways and straps in street ears, are most
often collected on the hands. Any
person who has ever kncadcd dough
understands the way in which the
dough cleans the hands. This means
that any germs which may have found
a lodging place on tho hands Of the
baker before he makes up his batch Of
bread are sure to find their way into
the dough, and once there, to find all
the conditions necessary for subdi.
vision and growth. This is equivalent
TO saying that We must rely on heat to
kill these germs, because il is almost
certain they will be there. Now, un-
derdonc or doughty bread is a form
which every man and woman has seen.
], il belief as old as the hills that
underdone bread is unhcalthful. This
reputation has been earned for il by
the experience Of countless genera.
tons, aud no careful mother will wish
her children To eat bread that has not
been thoroughly cooked. The reason
given for this recognized unhcalthful.
ncss has been that the uncooked yeast
dough is very difficult to digest. No
ono but a physician would be apt to
think Of disease germs which have not
been killed during the process Of bak-
ing as cause Of the sick following
the use Of uncookcd yeast bread. Yet
this result from this cause is more than
probable. ! have not the slightest
doubt that could We trace back some Of
the eases Of illness which we meet In
our practice We would find that germ.
collected by the baker have found their
way into the yeast bread. that the heat
has not been sufficient 10 destroy them,
that the uncookcd yeast bread has
been eaten aud with II the colonies Of
germs, that they have found their way
into the blood aud that the call for
our services which followed, has round
cd of this sequence OF events.
have already pointed out that the
germs OF disease AFRO to be found IN
the mir and dust. The longer amy sub.
stance 10 be eaten IL exposed 10 the
air, the greater the chance that germs
will be deposited on Il. Bread raised
with yeast Il worked down or kncndcd
twice before being baked aud this pro.
ccss may take anywhere from four
hours To ten. II has, then, tho chance
81 collecting disease germs during this
process Of raising and II has two peri.
DDS Of working down or kbcnding dur.
ing each Of which II may rnthcr tho
dirt containing tho germs from the