Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1901-07-19
LARS OF THE GERMS.
Unexpected Microscopic Cavities In
Which They Lurk I'm Large
Numbers.

ing lead pencil may lead TO The
dissemination of disease in family.
Among children especially "swap-
ping pencils is one method of show
ing good fellowship, and the child
who swaps is sometimes the innocent
cause OF transmitting sore throat.
skin disease or diphtheria TO his best
friend. The use of public pencils is
also no doubt responsible for the
transmission of disease from one to
another, the danger being far greater
when "a person moistens the lead in
the mouth. Aside from being a
filthy habit, this is a dangerous one
in any case, for the lead is compare
lively rough and has cavities which
are to the germs as vast caves in
which they Turk and from which they
may be transferred TO the mucous
membranes through which disease
enters most readily into the system,
says a medical authority.
AS for penholders, they are much
more commonly used by many per-
sons, and the danger of transmission
of disease germs by them is there.
fore greater. At the hotel counter
and the bank desk penholders are
handled by thousands in the course
Of few days, and of this number
some may and do have skin diseases
at least which may be contagious
and are thus transferable to others.
1t would not be a great tax upon the
larger establishments at least to
have cheap penholders in such guam
tity that each person could have "A
new one, but the remedy is much
simpler. Fountain pens are cheap
enough nowadays TO allow every BUSH
ness man and woman 10 own one,
but if that is not possible a pocket
penholder is certainly within the
means of all. Blotting paper, too,
on public desks bears its own evil
dence of soiling many hands. and
from its absorbing nature it is es-
pecially congenial to germ elements.
As for public combs and brushes.
the danger is too evident and dis
gushing to need advice against their
use, and the same applies TO public
towels-a public convenience, per-
haps, but a common source even to-
day of the itch or worse diseases.
To wipe the hands upon them is bad
enough, but TO wipe the face and
eyes is counting serious trouble.
Common drinking cups may be
source Of infection as well as OF
cooling or exhilarating draft, as the
case may be, and this applies just as
much if not more so to communion
cups used, it is true, in a holy cause
but none the less likely to serve a
most wicked purpose. In fact, any
article touched by the lips or hands
that passes from one person to an
other may convey contagious virus
or infectious germs. .,or is it nec-
essary to even touch articles.
Library books are no doubt often
conveyers of disease, and although
librarians have been frequently
urged by sanitarians TO adopt some
method of disinfecting books, few if
any have seen fit to do so, although
there is cheap, harmless and Elf
cacious method of so doing by for
maldehyde.
Even articles that are in a sense
private property are possible factors
in disease causation. Postage stamps,
for example, and other gummed ar
ticles, notably the flap of an en-
velope, are fertile fields for the
growth of germs that may oe blown
or otherwise implanted upon the
gummed surface, the danger being
increased from the liability that the
tongue may be cut by the paper edge
in moistening them. The person
who uses his tongue 10 moisten
stamps and the like may be infected
or inoculated as cffectually as if the
poison were injected.
The time will come when the indi-
vidual will have his individual OBJ
iects of daily use. Even in the house
hold it is wise to have ones own
towel, soap, sponge and the like for
the toilet. Surely every one nova
days has his or her own toothbrus
and comb and brush. At the table
the fad of having individual cups and
salcers and other ware is a sensible
one, though not a necessary one in
most cases, but if there is any per-
son in the family affected with dis
ease. especially consumption and the
like, it is absolutely necessary that
that person have his or her own
dishes Of such u distinctive pattern
that they cannot be mistaken.
kissing has been n much discussed
question. and while sentiment de-
tends the practice hygiene is in favor
of abolishing it, at least as a mark
of public affection. Many an infant
who has been given kiss of affec-
ton has in reality been given the
kiss of death, and in adult life Sc
rious diseases, if not fatal !'fes. have
been transmitted by the kiss OF one
supposed to be pure, yet saturated
with disease. Doubtless the crusade
against kissing has been carried TO
an absurdity, but promiScuous kiss
ing, aside from its indelicacy, is dam
gerous.
The food that we eat may be
cause of infection. Avoid a filthy
rrn,fef,n ctorn Won would tho