Evening star., 1900-07-23

1t is Dangerous to he Obliging Under
Certain Circumstances.

Say, boss. give me a light" said rather
shabbily dressed man TO a gentleman stand
ing on the steps of The Star building. talk
ing with representative of this paper
The man spoken to. a physician. and one
of the foremost specialists in dermatology
In Washington. handed to the other man his
half-consumed cigar somewhat reluctantly
while an expression of annoyance over
spread his features.
Ihanks. said the smoker. as he puffed
at his cigar stump and walked away. The
doctor threw his cigar in the gutter.
IN handing that stranger my cigar,
which you observed was nearly consumed" :"
he said. II broke a cast-ron resolution
never to conform to the almost universal
custom in this country to obige another
man with light from ones weed, and
never in turn to ask the same favor of an
other if needed light
In lighting his cigar from mine you per-
ceived that in pressing the ends together
he grasped mine with his thumb, index and
middle fingers, exerting a certain amount of
pressure, and placing his digits directly over
the part which | had just taken from my
mouth, and which would mix with nv own
saliva If l We're again to smoke 1t. If that
man had any specific disease and lesion of
the lip. and If / had a crack abrasio or
lesion on my own lips the chances of my be-
coming infected Herewith would be 20 to l.
But even assuming his perfect healthful-
ness, since he placed his fingers over that
portion of the roll which was to be returned
TO my mouth, i was bound to come in con-
tact through the mouth with the filth dirt
or bacteria upon the ends of his fingers
When it is considered how unclean are the
hands of the average man, especially those
engaged in manual labor, the prospect Is
not. Inviting.
The brother of an intimate friend of
mine. himself physician contracted trber-
culosis from the saliva of his sweetheart
injecting him through the act of kissing
he was robust man, without the slightest
talnt OF consumption. He died in six
months. and for several weeks during the
earlier stages of the disease his true condi-
ton was not suspected until microscopical
analysis revealed the deadly bacilli tubercu-
losis in his lungs His fiancee survived him
a few weeks This case coming under my
personal observation, was one of the few
early ones which demonstrated that tuber-
culosls could be thus communicated. 1t is
so to greater or less degree of the other
specific diseases.
While most men endeavor to take hold
OF cigar given them to light their own
above the end which fits In the mouth, this
cannot always be accomplished when it has
been half or more consumed. II Is bad
practice in any event. and 1t is for this rea-
son that many men will respond TO such re-
quests by handing out match. l do this
and II | have no matches with me | throw
away the cigar when it is returned to me-
among men " no chew tobacco 1t is an
almost universal custom, upon request for
"a chew to hand the plug to the other
man, who bites off a piece. pressing his
teeth and lips and necessarily depositins
an appreciabie amount of saliva upon the
part of the plug bitten from. Some men
lop off a piece with knife. If 1t is clean
bit. 1t Is all right. II 1t is portion of that
part of the plug already chewed off by the
owner. the borrower runs the risk of infec-
ton.
ITO less degree. 1t Is Objectionable to me
to receive from cigar salesman a handful
of cigars taken from the box in the case
with his hands. He gathers up a quantity
OF cigars with fingers which may or may
not be clean and spreads them out on the
case for your selection. Some dealers hand
out the box for the customer to make his
own selection. and this is the only proper
and cleanly way to serve them"