The herald., 1898-12-04

:: E; e.: !: e: =
c,,.,,r. r,,. thoroughly American safe
sealed With guard. If the answers
Cotton given are reassuring,
stopper. everybody will be perfect
ly satisfied.
So, in behalf Of the public and as
one Of the public, I began to investi-
gate-frst, as to the number of places
where potentially dangerous germs are
kept in stock I visited several bac-
THEOLOGICAL laboratories and cross
questioned as many experts as I was
able to get hold of. The replies, though
trifle vague, were surprising. The
most adequate response was obtained
from a gentleman exceptionally we'll
informed, who is connected with ..le
New York health board. All my other
queries he answered with ease and
promptness, but at this he smi'e !.
rather grimly.
That's a poser" he said. 1T don't
believe that anyone can give you an
exact answer. There are no statistics
on this point, and 1 don't see how they
could be obtained. Still, the number
Of places where pathogenic bacteria are
kept and cultivated is undoubtedly very
great-at least a thousand, I should
say, and possibly more. 1t is hard to
set limit.
ITO begin with, such cultures would
certainly be found in nearly all uni
versities and colleges where biological
studies are pursued-especially in med
ical colleges. They are kept on hand,
of course, in most of our larger hos
pitfalls, and in many that are not so
large. There are also numerous spe-
cial laboratories for investigation along
this line-such as the well-known Car
negie and Hoagland laboratories.
"Then the health boards, both state
and municipal, all over. the country
necessarily make these cultures in
great numbers. The number in our
own laboratory often mounts high
among the thousands; but of course
this is an exceptionally big city. We
have sometimes examined as many as
225 specimens in a single day. But
there are similar establishments in al
most every large town, and even in
some villages.
Besides all the foregoing, there are
not few private investigators, for the
most part physicians, who make cul-
lures. The number of these is un-
known and could scarcely be ascer-
tained."
Figuring from these data I have en-
deavored to make a rough calculation
of the number of separate cultures to-
day existing in the United States. In
the Hoagland laboratory there are at
present about fifty different species
kept in stock; and for each Of these,
four distinct cultures are maintained.
In the health board laboratory the
number Of specimens is far greater,
though the variety may be less. At a
very conservative estimate, conclude
that the total number Of test-tubes,
each containing a colony of germs
capable Of almost infinite multiplica-
ton, is for the whole country not less
than 100000; and these figures may be
far below the fact.
OF these germs large proportion are
malignant in the extreme. If once they
should break loose-but that is impos-
sible with the methods that prevail on
this side of the Atlantic. 1t is not the
microbes imprisoned in glass tubes and
guarded like convicted murderers that
are the source of danger, but those that
lurk uncaptured in the slums Of our
cities, and hide themselves in foul
sewers and cesspools.
In America, at least, the greatest
precaution is observed by all reputable
investigators. In the first place, the
cultures are kept in locked cabinets or
safes, specially constructed for the
purpose; and none but thoroughly COM
petent and trustworthy persons are
ever given access to them. They are
not left to the care Of ignorant attend
ants, like the unfortunate Barisch in
Vienna, who not only fell victim to his
own recklessness. but inflicted upon
others death in one of it's most fright
full forms, and imperiled an entire city.
Do not be afraid. The like could not
happen here. The inoculation Of ami
mails is probably not very frequent in
this country; but if. in the course Of
necessary experiments, rat rabbit, or
guinea pig has become infected, its
body is invariably cremated.
In addition to being securely locked
up, the culture tubes are always care
fully stoppered with plugs Of cotton.
This may seem to the reader a rather
f1imsy protection; but for microbes
such a network Of fibers. properly pre-
pared, is more impossible than iron