Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-11-23
GERMS IN TELEPHONES.
DR.. Emanuel Friend Finds Bacilli In
Testing the Receivers.

Dr. Emanuel Friend, after making
tests of ten telephone mouthpieces in
downtown business houses, finding the
germs of infectious diseases in nine Of
them, advocates the passage of an Or
dinance requiring the daily disinfection
of telephone receivers. The tests
were made in the laboratory of the
Michael Reese Hospital by Koch's iso-
lation method. Scrapings from sepa-
rate instruments were placed in sepa-
rate cultures and the examination
showed that some of the disease germs
were pus-forming microbes.
DR.. Friend suggests the use of So
luton of bichloride of mercury or 5
per cent. solution of carbolic acid for
disinfecting purposes. He says that
while he has not found the bacilli of
consumption in any telephone he has
no doubt they are present in many in
struments.
Some weeks ago officials of the Chi
cago Telephone company were visited
by men who are exploiting a patent
germ-killing attachment for telephone
mouthpieces, who wished to ascertain
whether n cur experience the trans
mission of disease from the use of tele-
phones had been noticed said Gen
eral Manager A. S. Hubbard. Our in
formation was to the effect that no
authenticated cases of this kind had
been reported in the country. Later
they required if they might have an
examination made of mOuthpieces in
Use in Chicago, and were given every
opportunity in the way of obtaining
mouthpieces from busy public tele-
phones and others. Presumably the
examination published today is the
enc which was made at their instiga-
ton. At about the same time the Chi
cago Telephone company took the mat
ter up with the city officials, and an
examination is to be made under the
direction of the Chicago board of
health by DR.. Wynkoop."
DR.. HILBERT w. Hill, director of the
archaeological laboratory of the board
OF health, in March last began an in
vestigation of the question whether
telephone transmitters constitute a
menace to the public health by reason
of the presence of disease-producing
bacteria. His report has recently been
submitted to the board of health
Thirteen telephones which are sub
jected to an extraordinary amount OF
daily use were chosen. The attempt
was made to get specimens Of bacteria
from the inside and outside Of the
transmitters attached to the telephones
in question. The results of the at
tempt were negative, as the cultures
prepared from the specimens obtained
failed to show the presence of bacteria
dangerous to health.
ct may therefore be concluded" say:
| DR.. Hill, that these telephones did no
on the day of examination constitute
| foci from which bacterial disease could
be readily distributed. Nevertheless, i
is doubtless possible that infectious
diseases may be conveyed from on
user, not by infection Of the transmit
tiers through the expired air, strict!
considered, of the diseased user, bu
through his saliva or sputum DEPOSITED
on the transmitter, either through act
ual contact of the wetted lips to tn
transmitter or in the form of minut
particles of liquid detached from tn
liquids of the mouth by coughing o
other strong exploratory breaths. Prac
ticalIy, then, the telephone transmitte
cannot be considerd dangerous sourc
of disease, while at the same time 1t
possible action as an occasiona
medium for the carriage Of infection
must be admitted
Dr.. Hill recommends the use Of
liquid disinfectant-e. g., l per cent
solution Of formalin or per cent. SO
luton of carbolic acid, applied b
paper, cloth or brush or spray to tn
transmitter, inside and out, at all pub
lie telephone stations by the person
charge after each use of the instru
ment.-Chicag Post.