Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1894-06-23
BACILII AND sUSLIGuE


Judged by the recent demonstrations
In science, as set forth by Professor
Farmland Ia the Nnsie,Hh Century,
the large amount OF sunlight which
Utah enjoys 10 TO be- credited with
much OF the hoallhiulne,s which exist.
here, "a II IL effective In destroying the
baeilli Of disease. IL has been popular
notion that the rays Of the sun pro-
mote tho increase Of bacteria
and, consequently, fermentation, pu'
ieiacllou anu decomposition; AMI
scientists commonly have held to this
theory, Notwithstanding the fact that
there weie numerous evidences 10 To-
dictate a contrary effect.
Il IL the attempt 10 reconcile the
popular theory with facts which has
led TO recent Investigations into the
Influence Of sunlight upon bacteria,
and which has brought the
denomination Of AN opposiie view
TO that formerly held. This DEM
onstraiion Is that sunlight has
fatal effect upon bacteria,
especially when acting In conjunction
with tue oxygen Of the atmosphere.
Il was shown that liquids that become
tainted or iorment In the dark remain
entirely sound aud sweet In direct sun
light.
Professor FARMLAND says the IN.
ysstigA,ions made suggest possibilities
Of future knowledge ami achievements
Of almost incalculablo brnchconco 10
mankind. He cites the experience u
two German scientists who recently
spent the whole night, from
sunset 10 sunrise, on tho bank
OF the IsRr, near Munich. Every hour
they dipped up some Of the water Of
the river and a5cer,ainod the number
Of bAcllli 10 drop. Early In the
evening there were only n iow--eight
or ten In drop. But they steadily
increased In number, until just before
II began to grow light at morning they
were mobt numorous-perhaps thirty
10 drop. with the return Of sunlight
their numbers began TO diminish aud
continued To do 20 all through the day.
10 already hal been observed. he says,
that In certain English rivers baCuli
we're about three times a. numerous In
winter when days are short and often
dark and cloudy, rs In summer, when
days are long and more sunshine pre-.
walls.
The learned professor goes on 10 say
that not only does sunlight thus destroy
orat less, check tho multiplication OF
mioro.orgauisms, but It IL especially
baneful 10 those which arc noxious 10
human or animal lie; and whom It
does not actually destroy them it ma.
the extraordinary effect Of radically
changing ghelr nature, 80 m 10 make
them in3cuuus 0t even actually be-.
niguuui, The deadly anthrax usclU
are killed. outright by exposure to sun,
light DO uurmal atmosphere. d..
/ Palermo, at Naples, exposed the
bac.lN OF Asiauc cholera 20 sunllsh,
Tor three or four houu. Finding them
still alive, he Administered them TO a
GUINEA pig. Al the same time he a,-
miuistergd TO another guinea pig other
similar germs which hal been kept
an equal time In the dark. The
Iatt,ruuIn1HI died Uf AEIatip rhoferp Do,
about eighteen b0urs. But the former,
charged with the sua.ouTed oaoilIi, re,
manned perfectly we'll, Not only that,
but Il nat actually gained immunity
from the disease, 60 that subsequent
iuoculations and dosings with the
most viIulout cholera microbes had no
effect upon 10. Exposure TO the suu5s
rays mad thus NOT oniy destroyed the
diseast-produoing powers OF the
! microbes, Uut had made them active