Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1900-12-06
BOSTON'S GERM PRISON.
How Scientists Investigate Depraved
BaciIIa Characters.
Boston Transcript

Boston Transcript
Millions of ravaging disease germs are
fostered and fed in the meteorological
laboratory which is owned by the Boston
Board of Health. There are all kinds of
bacili, from the bubonic plague specimen,
which has the power to extinguish hui
man life in the short period of few days,
to the dull, half. dead mites that require
years and years of frequent, even contlnu'
GUS, attacks in order to deprive man of the
pleasures of life. There are descendants
of germs who did their last deadly work in
some remote part of China or India, germs
which have caused much sorrow in the
very heart of this city, gnawed of the
heaviest bonds of Friendship and brought
poverty into families that were comforta-
BILE and independent. Maybe there are
microbes that have travelled the country
over in futile quest of victims or assailed
the living as well as the dead on the mys'
FERROUS bottom of the sea, because this
great collection is gathered at different
times from minerals as well as organic
matter. 1t is an army that could produce
an awful calamity were it set at liberty
and given proper direction toward that
end.
There are people in Boston who fear this
army to such an extent that they actually
lose sight of the effectiveness of the meth
DDS whereby it is kept and cared for, and
they even allow this unwarranted fear to
interfere with business prospects. Here
is an example: The laboratory is located
in the Sudbury Building, on Sudburg
street. lis quarters being somewhat I'M
satisfactory for the work, the Board of
Health sought permission nearer the GEN.
ter of the city, and finally obtained an OPP
ton on suitable rooms. Preparations
were made for the removal of the labora-
tory to the new location, but at the last
moment the owner, in accordance with his
groundless fears, refused the use of the
ro1ms, and the laboratory had to re-
main in the Sudbury Building. Possibly
it will be taken into the old Courthouse
after that structure has been renovated
and enlarged.
1t may be useful, therefore, to look into
this bacterial camp, the scientific prison OF
SO many enemies of life and happiness.
Death turks in every corner like feasting
parasite, without hope and without desire
to escape, everywhere watched by the
psychologists, who handle it with calm
authority. Under the conditions there is
absolutely nothing to fear, the good health |
of the doctors and attendants will attest. |
Every little group of germs kept in stock
lies imprisoned in glass tube, drenched
in serum or agar, which, while it feeds the
microscopic organism, also prevents its es-
cape even if the stopper were removed
from the mouth of the tube, and each |
tube is sealed with paraffine No germs
can rise from the media and sail in the
air. They arise only when they are dry, |
and they are never dry except when the
psychologists dry them on a glass slide
over hot fire, which kills them. ALI the
material which is used in the researches is
destroyed by fire as soon as the expert
ments are completed, excepting the glass
receptacles and instruments, which can be
cleansed by chemical solutions. Animals
injected with the more dangerous germs
are not kept in open iron cages during the
incubation period; they are put into glass
bowls and excluded from all chances of
coming into contact with anything which
might transfer the disease. Summing the
story up in few words, the laboratory is
as safe to health as any Office or dwelling
house.