The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1896-11-18
DANGER IN THE TOWEL.
Some of the Worst Diseases Con-
Veyed by One in Common

Yeyed by One In Common
Use.
This is matter of serious con-
sideration. Too many people in
hotels, restaurants and business Of
fees use the same towel. Ithangs
up in the common lavatory; seems
great convenience, yet may be n
source of very serious disease. We
have known of certain instances
that were startling to the sufferers.
A writer in the "Christian Score
tary" thoughtfully reviews the mat
ter, and what he says is worthy a
wide distribution.
"a case of infectious disease for
which the physicians could not in
any way account recently gave n
start to an investigation that ought
to interest all persons who find it
necessary to use toilet appliances
outside of their own dwellings. Be-
ing oe an inquiring turn of mind,
and having known the family in
all of it's branches, the doctor was a
little curious as to the source of the
infection. He finally learned that
in the same office where his patient
was employed was a janitor who
was suffering from this disease.
From this point it was not difficult
to trace the cause of the trouble.
"The doctor dropped in ct the
office one day just before closing
hours and secured the soiled towels,
These he subjected to IL thorough
examination, and found flourish
ing colony disease of bacilli of the
sort he was seeking. This was an
incentive to further research, and
the clean towels we're examined
These were furnished by com
pany that supplied thousands of
towels all over the city. Half n
dozen were examined, with no re-
suits beyond few harmless mi
crobes, but later q very innocent
looking, clean, white one was
found to be Il hotbed of disease
germs of the most horrible descrip-
ton. Then the inquiry proceeded
as to why this should be, when it
was found that very many towels
are turned in at the laundry with
scarcely an appearance of soil about
them.
"To make work easy these are
sometimes merely run through the
suds, rinsed, dried and mangled.
"In one case profuse crop of
pimples was traceable to the use of
one of these towels when the
body was heated and the face
moist with perspiration. Because
one is unable to see these organ
isms is no sign that they do not
exist in deadly numbers.
at is said by some observing
medical men that skin diseases
have increased in cities in the most
startling proportions since the GUS
tom came about of supplying office
towels from general depot. If
this proves to be the case, then
what has been regarded as very
great convenience will be Stunned
by all intelligent people. That
there is great danger from this
source is evident from one or two
instances that have come under the
notice of the profession.
ga towel showing very slight
stain-not enought to cause the
casual observer to think of investi-
eating twas the object of sus-
picion to a microscopist. The spot
was cut out and subjected to the
culture process. AS soon as it
came in contract with moisture,
the. spot which had been ironed
down smooth and fiat, swelled to
prodigious proportions, and was
found to contain enough disease
matter to inooulate 100 persons.
There are but two remedies for
this sort of thing. One is, let every
person take his own towel aud use
no other, or to insist that all such
articles be washed by steam pro-