Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1893-08-17

"pisEAsE GERMS FOUND THEIR
Ing raised with yeast. They are
warmth, moisture and the organic
matter of the flour on which the germs,
after certain changes, feed.
1t Is necessary to remember at this
point that yeast is germ growth, and
when introduced into mixture Of glu-
cose or starch, in the presence Of
warmth and moisture sets up o fer
mentation. If the mixture be q starchy
dough the yeast first changes portion
of the starch into glucose and then de-
composes the glucose by changing it
into two new substances, viz, carbonic
acid gas and alcohol.
Now the gluten, which is also a 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, If introduced into dough,
find very favorable conditions for their
growth.
l do not wish to pose" as an alarmist,
nor am | willing to say there is very
much chance of the germs of typhus
and Of cholera reaching tho stomachs
of the people who eat bread which has
been raised with yeast. Bat have not
the slightest cause to doubt that other
diseases have been and will be carried
about in the bread.
| have met journeymen bakers, suf-
fering from cutaneous diseases, work
ing the dough in the bread trough with
naked hands and arms. | have no rea-
son to suppose bakers are less liable to
cutaneous diseases than are other men,
ard know, us every housewife knows,
yeast-raised bread must be worked q
long time. This is an exceedingly oh
jectionable thing from the standpoint
of a physician, for the reason that the
germs Of disease which are in the air
and dust and on stairways and straps
in street cars, are most often collected
on the hands. Any person who has
ever kneaded dough understands the
way in which the dough cleans the
hands. This means that any germs
which may have found lodging place
on the 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 subdivision and growth.
This is equivalent to saying that we
must rely on heat to kill these germs,
because ii is almost certain that they
WIZ be there. Now, underdone or
dogghy bread is a form which every
man sad woman has seen.
It is belief rs old as the hills that
underdone bread is unhealthful. This
reputation has been earned for it by
the, experience of countless genera
tions, and no careful mother will wish
her children to eat bread that has not
been thoroughly cooked. The reason
given for this recognized unhealthful-
ness has been that the uncooked yeast
dough is very difficult to digest. No
one but q physician would be apt to
think OF disease germs which have not
been killed during the process OF bak-
ing as a cause OF the sickness following
the use of uncookcd yeast bread. Yet
this result from this cause Is more than
probable. I have not the slightest
doubt that could we trace back some OF
the cases OF illness which we meet in
our practice We would find that germs
! collected by the baker have found their
way into the yeast bread. that the heat
has not been sufficient to destroy them,
that the uncooked yeast bread has been
eaten and with it the colonies OF germs,
that they have found they way into the
blood and that tho call for our services
which followed has rounded OIL this
sequence of events.
| have already pointed out that the
/ germs of disease are to be found In the
air and dust. The longer any substance
! to he eaten Is exposed to the air, the
greater the chance that germs will be
deposited on it. Bread raised with
yeast is worked down or kneaded twice
before being baked, and this process
may take anywhere from four hours to
Ten. 1t has, then, the chance of col
lecting disease germs during this
process OF raising, and it has two pc.
,iOds Of working down or kneading,
during each OF which 1t may gather
she dirt containing the germs from the
bakers hands. AS no bread save that
| raised with yeast goes through this
long process of raising and kneading,
20 no bread save that raised with yeast
aas so good chance OF gathering
germs.
What is meant by raising" bread Is
worth few words. The introduction
Of the yeast into the moist dough and
the addition Of heat when the pan Ii
/ placed near the fire produces an enor.
NOUS growth OF the yeast fungi-t the
yeast sgerm," in other words. These
fungi effect 9 destructive fermentation
of y portion Of the starchy matter d
| the don pne OF the most valuable
| nv elements In the flour. Ths
y Gllolitation produces carbonic acii
gas, and this, having its origin i
oyery little particle 81 the starch
which is itself cverywhere In tho nour