The daily morning journal and courier., 1896-05-02
INDIvlDUAA COMMUNION CUPS.

tian Temperance Union, in the Die
 tetic and Hygienic Gazette.)
 One year ago an apology was re- quired for proposing any change in the manner of administering the sacra- ment at the Lords table; now the question of individual communion cups is so freely discussed by clergy and lai- ty in religious, scientific and secular journals, that no such apology is need ed, although we must always approach this subject with a spirit of reverence, not only toward Him who said, Drink ye all of it." but toward all the genera tions of these nineteen centuries who have observed this sacramental rite.
 As the advance of science shows the ways in which diseases are communl- cated, we should do all in our power to avoid such communication by our cus- toms, be they in the family, travelling car, school or church. Certainly the church, aiming to do all she can for hu- manity, should be ready to remove danger from her own flock as soon as such danger is discovered. And when we know how many churches all over the country, and of nearly all denomi- nations, have changed their custom during the short time this question has been agitated we believe that all will be ready to act as soon as they can be made to realize the importance of the movement.
 Those who are working for the better sanitary condition of our country and of our state, who are aiming to de- creas our death-rate by the avoidance of contagion, should agitate this ques- tion thoroughly and everywhere advo- cate the removal of the common drink ing-cup, educating the people to realize its dangers and their duty respecting it toward their fellowmen During the past year many county and state medi- cal societies have adopted resolutions recommending to churches the use of the individual chalice for the commun- ion service.
 There is no question that many dis | eases can be transmitted by the secre- tions of the mouth; in the present man. her of communion these secretions en- ter the cup and also adhere to its edge, to be removed by later communicants. At recent meeting of the Monroe County Medical society, in New York, an epidemic of diphtheria was reported by one of the health officers. This epi- demic was confined to a single school district, twenty-four families being af- flicted. The contagion was traced back to the drinking cup used in school, and
 used by the diphtheretic children, mi 1 croscopic examinations revealing the diphtheretic microbes adhering in great quantities to the rim. Another epidem-
 ic has been reported from California, in which it is believed the communion cup was the cause of the spreading of the disease.
 Dr. Albert Ashmead writes for publi- cation the following, which illustrates frequently existing conditions: "The last time I knelt at the communion al- tar there knelt at one side of me a pa- tient known knew Gas was treating him at the time) to be suffering from an odious disease; his mouth contained patches which made it especially con- tagious. This person took the cup be- fore it came to me; of course let the cup pass. At another time the person next to me, but following me in the use of the cup, was also patient of mine in an advanced stage of tuberculosis; the mouth of this patient was in con dition dangerous to his neighbor."
 Many pathologists have made micro scopic examinations of the wine re- maining in a communion-cup after ser vice and have found abundant proof of it's power of contagion. We will refer to but one of these pr. H. S. finders, of Philadelphia, writes: "In May last I found In two out of five specimens ex- amined from communion-cu the fol- lowing: Several bacilli of tuberculosis. staphylococci of pus formation, numer- ous pus cells and epithelium from the mouth, showing the dangers inherent from promiscuous contact"
 Certainly the custom of returning to the bottle what is left in the cup after service should be abolished. Investi- gation reveals this to be the custom of many churches, and some even send that bottle, with it's rinsing of lips and mustaches and it's accumulation of mi crobes, to the sick of the parish, who in their weakness are especially suscepti- ble to contagion.
 Many have said, "T cannot remember the time, when partaking of the sacra- ment, that I did not watch the cup which would come to me, my spirit de- votion being affected by the amount of satisfaction or repulson which fol- lowed such observation"
 | Certainly we should consider it un- clean for all to drink coffee from the same cup at church social. Why, then, is it strange that many have the same feeling at the Lords table? It has been rightfully advocated that, If the common cup is thus offensive to many, if it usurps the place of Christ In the sacred memorial, remedy should be sought for and applied. We are told that when Leonardo da Vinci the cele- brated historic painter of Italy. was engaged upon his great painting upon the wall of the convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie, '"The Last Supper" repre- senting the Saviour and His disciples at the paschal feast, each supplied with an individual portion of bread and an individual vessel of sacred wine, per- son was invited to examine the work, who soon began to enlarge upon the beauty of the chalice, the painter inl- mediately dashed his brush across the object of admiration, because, he said he had made mistake in not so paint ing the picture as to make the face Of the blessed Master the center of attrac- tion