Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-01-09

F<L
Surgeon General sternberg.
These curious shapes were the photo
graphs of a number Of the enemies of man
kind that have been discovered of recent
years. one after another. pried out of the
mysteries of the invisible, as 1T were. by
inquisitive benefactors to the race. They
were being exposed before the gaze of a
large audience, gathered to hear the first
lecture of series that the Sanitary League
of this city will conduct for the purpose of
making the people better acquainted with
their enemies and the means Of subduing
them.
The lecturer Of the evening was Surgeon
General Geo. M. Sternberg of the United
States army, whose work In the field of bac-
teriology has been extensive and valuable.
He was introduced by Mr.. John Joy Edison.
the secretary of the league, who explained
the objects of the organization briefly.
Mr.. EdsOn's Introduction.
1.-THE Sanitary League" Mr.. Edison said.
was formed early in 1893 by a number of
citizens who believed they saw field for
useful effort by an organization of citizens,
working in concert with the authorities, to
remove existing and to avert dangers to
the public health Of the city. The league
is to provide means of instruction in simple
hygiene and sanitation, 50 as to remove as
far as possible the ignorance that permits
unsanitary conditions to exist, and con-
tributes so much to increase the annual
diffuse information generally on sanitary
matters through the medium of the press
and public addresses and to otherwise aid
the proper authorities in their effort to I'M
prove the sanitary condition Of the District.
When the aims Of the league were made
known many citizens willing to aid in pro-
noting these objects sent their names to
the secretary and were enrolled as men,
bers. 1t is believed the larger the member
ship the more useful the organization will
become, and for that reason all citizens in
terested in the work are invited to become
members.
This work will not cease until the num-
Der of deaths attributed to preventable
causes is reduced to the minimum.
ASIDE from the humane principle in
volved. the material interests Of the city
will be promoted in whatever degree the
Efforts of the league are successful; for the
accomplishment Of its objects will greatly
increase the attractiveness of the capital
as place of residence.
Much has been done in 1893 toward the
ends for which the league is working.
Many useful investigations have been con-
Quoted knowledge has been diffused and the
authorities have been assisted in carving
out plans which have proved most bene-
hclal, as the reduced death rate attests.
THE administration of the affairs of the
league Is entrusted to a council annually
CHOSEN. consisting of the general officers
and representatives Of different localities of
the District"
DIR. Sternberg's Lecture.
Mr.. Edison then presented Dr. sternberg
as the lecturer of the evening
Il can tell you how to kill the germs of
disease when they are once identified and
located" said the surgeon general look
ing out over the hall filed with intelligent,
eager faces, but am not going to tell you
how to cure the diseases That belongs
to another branch of medical inquiry
sanitation Is not cure. 1t is prevention,
and you know the old adage that an ounce
of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
L am not here to tell you of any quack
nostrum, but to let you know how easy
II is for you to prevent the spread of any
disease that may fasten itself upon your
household or your neighborhood."
Then he went into brief history of the
known bacilli. and showed how they have
In the past fifteen years. That long
ago. he said, the world knew only one or
TWO disease germs, and these belonged
to the class known as bacteria. These are
vegetable organisms OF the lowest order
and do not include the germs of malarial
fever, dysentery or cancer. Those germs
are of the animal order. All bacteria are
not bad. and We are very apt to carry
around on our persons, in our mouths and
in other parts of the body Experiments
have been tried with bit of common
wooden cloth worn next to the body for
some time and afterward subjected to the
Influences of culture" demonstrating
the existence of thousands upon thousands
of tiny organisms that undoubtedly came
from the person. and yet had not the least
influence for evil
Bacilli is the general name of the class
of harmful germs. There three kinds.
mainly distinguished by their form. When
round they are known as micrococci; when
elongated. bacilli, and when spiral and
twisted, spirilH.
Thrown Upon the Screen.
After these preliminary definitions the
lights were turned down. the lenses of a
stereopticon were adjusted and soon there
flashed on the screen the gigantic portrait
of micrococcus. o: rather family of these
interesting creatures. The whole household
resembled a target that had been under
severe fire more than anything else Round
particles almost filled the field. They were
so thick in places that they touched edges
and joined company The next picture was
that of a group of bacilli. This Illustration
might easily have been the vision of a man
suffering with the nightmare, or the ina
gfninSs of one who had overstepped the
grounds of sob-iety to the limits of that
mysterious field known as the horrors"
beings that almost seemed to squirm over
the screen were magnifed fifty thousand
times, and that man Projected on a sheet
in the same proportions would be about fifty
miles high These facts relieved the lay
part of the audience somewhat, and there
was a general sigh of restfulness to be
heard
Then followed other portraits in this inter-
esting family album, in rapid succession.
Some spirilli were shown. long twisting
weighing things that seemed capable of
worming themselves into the most solid
tissues. The next one was the germ of the
disease known as anthrax, which is very
fatal to small animals, but is not common
to man. This is micrococcus, and repro
duces by means of spores. and is thus very
hard to exterminate. An injection of this
cell, introduced under the skin of a mouse
produced death in forty-eight hours On the
next screen was shown the same germ
though unstained. and therefore very light
coIored. This growth, said the lecturer may
live with untamed ener<J for seven years
without deterioration.
More Gers Presented.
Then another .<rget, smaller and pepper
ed with large shot. came into view. This