The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-03-14
Do NOT KISS YOUR GIRL.
II Nay Mean Death to One Of You Says
Prof W. I. SedsWick
In A LECTURE ON DISEASE GERMS
Drinking Water and Disesse-Interesting
Discourse at sayles Memorial Hall
On the Dangers Lurking In the Ele-
ments Around Us.


ments Around Us.
The lecture by Prof. William T. Sedg
wick of the Massachusetts Institute o
Technology at Sayles Memorial Hal
last evening was exceedingly interesting
n1d was listened to by fair-sized audi
ence
This speaker discussed the question o
the filtration Of water and urged the
strong necessity OF looking carefully az
ter the health by proper precaution in
this line. Said he in part:
The change OF opini on among human
beings with regard TO disease and sani-
tary conditions Is perhaps the greatesr
advance made during the century. Aud
not only has the cause of disease been
carefully look ed into but the prevention
and care OF disease has also undergone
great modification. Among the ancients
il was believed that disease WIS caused
by demonology, or the occupation of the
human body by spirits or demons.
This was soon ontgrown and dur
ing the time of Pericles aud also
for centuries after il was gener-
ally believed that disease originated from
the alleged humours Of the BODY, four
being named and the arrangement of
which in the proportion caused alike
QeFanHelneEb In tnc DOul ana nedlIn.
However. at the present time physi-
CLANS and scientists make distinction
between diseases known as intrinsic be-
cause OF some defect in the struc ure of
the internal organs, and diseases called
extrinslc resulting from outside cause
Science has but little TO do with the
former class of diseases and has advanced
the theory that In the latter class of dis
eases the first or prime cause came from
without. and originated from infectious
germs.
During the great plague of 1889 science
made
A Rapid stride.
AT that time il was proved beyond ques-
tion that infectious diseases were spread
by germs. and experiments made on ami
mails proved these theories. The fact
that germ disease has four periods was
also proven beyond doubt, and the pe-
riods were found TO correspond closely to
the process of fermen alton At first
there is the exposure TO he germ or in-
oculation. then follows the incuba ion
or development OF the germ, followed by |
the period of active disease and last the |
period OF recovery or of death.
Pastenr commenced his investi cations |
in 1850, and took up the process of alco- |
bolic fermentation an found that il re-
suited from the Yeast germ contained in
the fruit from its rpenIng. Fermenta-
ticn of wines and beers were next studied
aud in each case il was found that each
liquid had its own peculiar disease or
ferment closely allied TO yeast but diff
fering from IL. He then drew the very
natural conclusion that diseases of the
human body resulted from germs, and
found by experiments that the blood cor
puscles were acted upon by disease germs
IN similar manner to the wines and |
alcoholic liquors.
Koch followed Pasteur and by his re-
closed lafr In q ka
development OF the theory by the latter.
He proved conclusively tnat In one case |
at least, that OF splenic fever, germs were
the direct cause, and by a variety of ex-
periments established the fact that many
other diseases were the result of the germ
action. From these discoveries there are
two conclusions to be derived one man
afflicted by some infectious disease has
been inoculated by some germ, and the
other, that In many cases it Is possible
Tor germs In good healthy condition to
cause disease.
Now we might stop with these con-
illusions, since 1t Is evident that wat er
The Germs of Disease
can very readily bring the disease to the
body. Water is a good vehicle for the
CARRYING OF the germs, but there is an
other dangerous avenue and that is
through the nose. People who move in |
|
contract disease, the germs floating In
the atmosphere entering the syetem
through the nose Once in the body
germs have an excellent chance to de-
velop, although u strong system NAV be .
unaffected by them. But in almost all
cases OF typhoid fever we will find that I
the patient has been run down. aud !
. all dragged out" aud bis weakened
is in this way unable TO
withstand the insiduous workings OF the
germs.
am sorry to say it. but one of the best
avenues OF disease IL opened up by the
common and prevailing habit OF kissing.
e Is bad aud very dangerous habit, aud =
feel that the kiss on the lips has caused
more than a few deaths.
III is understood now that these germs q
're piahts. auu not animals growing | 7
apioly, and granting that diseases are :
pread by their means, IL is exceedingly |,
asy 70 see how water becomes n vehicle 4
or their transportation. La 1879 there 4
sas terrible epidemic of typhoid fever h
a town In England which received its
Fatef from wells in chalk All those
rho had the fever were found to have v
sed the water. A remarkable fact was
nat IA an Insane asylum and "a garrison | !,
soiulers supplied with water from | =
tner sources, there was not a single | =
ase. The water was found To have been
ontaminated by "A man working on some
epairs on the wells. who was himself S
iscased.n q
iroL Sedgwick mentioned other in
Iances oil epldemics caused by drinking
'ater, among them the one in ProvI, .
ence In the year OF 1883, the account of u
hich can be found In the seventh annual
port Of the board OF health, aud which A
as investigated by DIR. Chaplin. He
SO mentioned two epidemics Of typho id
ver ia Lowell and the cholera epidemic Il
Hamburg last wear.
Inc best science Of the day teaches -,
iu proves that extrinsic diseases are ~
'us-u py the germs and the efforts of a,
ie scientists are directed toward the u,
nQlnG Oh preNenflnns md cnrn. .. | n