Omaha daily bee., 1896-10-24
DANGER IN THE TOWEL.
Some Of the Worst Diseases Conveyed
hN One in Common Use.


by One i'm Common Use.
Too many people in hotels. restaurants and
business offices use the same towel. 1t
hangs up i'm the common lavatory; seems a
very serious disease. A writer in the Chris
tion Secretary thoughtfuly reviews the mat
ter, and what he says Is worthy wide dis
tribution:
"a case of infectious disease for which
the physicians could not in any way ac-
count recently gave a start to an investi-
cation that ought to interest all persons
who find 1t necessary to use toilet appli-
ances outside of their own dwellings, Be
ing OF an nquirlng turn of mind, and hav-
ing known the family in all OF its 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 janitor who was suf-
fering from this disease. From this point
IL was not difficult to trace the cause OF the
trouble. The doctor dropped in at the Of
lce one day just before closing hours and
secured the soiled towels. These he sub
jected to a thorough examination, and
found lcurishing colony of disease bacilli
OF the sort he was seeking. This was an
incentive to further research, and the clean
towels were examined, These were fur
nished by a company that supplied thou
sands of towels all over the city. Half a
dozen were examined, with no results be-
yond few harmless microbes but later a
very Innocent looking, clean, white one
was found to be veritable hotbed of dis
ease germs Of the most horrible description.
Then the inquiry proceeded as to why this
should be. when 1t was found that very
many towels are turned in at the laundry
with scarcely an appearance of soil about
them.
ITO make work easy they are sometimes
merely run through 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 organisms Is no sign
that they do not exist in deadly numbers.
1T is said by some observing medical
men that skin diseases have increased In
cities In the most startling proportions since
the custom came about OF supplying office
towels from general depot. II this proves
to be the case, then what has been regarded
as very great convenience will be Stunned
by all intellisent people That there is grave
danger from this source Is evident from
one or two instances that have come under
the notice OF the'profession.
"A towel showing very slight stain-not
enough to cause the, casual observer to think
OF investigating itAwas the object OF sus-
picion to mictosc1pist. The spot was cut
out and subjected to the culture process.
AS soon as 1t camejn contact with moisture
the spot which, had been ironed down
smooth and nat, swelled to prodigious pro-
portions, and was found to contain enough
disease matter ito oainoculate 100 persons.
There are but two remedies for this sort
OF thing One is., let every person take his
own towel and use no other, or to Insist
that all such ARTICLES be washed by steam
process at the highest possible temperature.
This Is the only way to make these things
safe. and untibcthis is done It Is impossible
to predict when We may find ourselves af-
nicted with viruleht and malignant diseases