The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1901-02-27
LARS OF THE GERAIS
uNsUsPECTEO MICROSCOPIC cav.
ERNS In WHICH THEY LURK.

The Ease With Which They Mox Ec
Absorbed Into the System mud the
Necessity That Exists For Care ana
Scrupulous Cleanliness.
Even SO simple u matter as borrow
Ing lead pencil may lead to tho .!!s=
seminatiOn Of disease In family.
Among children especially Swapping"
pencils Is one method of showing good
fellowship. and the child who swaps Is
sometimes the innocent cause Of trans
mitting sore throat, skin disease CT
diphtheria tn his best friend. The use
Of public pencils is also no doubt re-
sponsiblc for the transmission OF dis
ease from one to another, the danger
being far greater when Il person mois-
tens the lead in the mouth. Aside frcm
being Il Iiitny habit. this is Il dangerous
one III any case. for the lead is compnr-
ativcly rough ana has cavities which
are To the germs ais vast caves III which
they lulk and from which they may be
transferred to tho mucous membranes
through which disease enters most
readily into the system.
AS for penholtlrrs. they are much
more commonly used by many persons,
ara the danger of transmission OF dis
case germs by them is thercfp q great
cf. AT the hotel counter and the bank
desk penholdcrS are handled by thou
sands III the course Of q few days, and
or this number some may and do have
skin diseases ut least which may hr
| contagious anu are thus transferable to
others. 1t would not be great tax
upon the larger establishments at least
to have cheap pcnloldcrs in such guam
tity that each person could have II new
one, but the remedy IS muc!. simpler.
Fountain pens are cheap enough nova
days to allow every business man and
woman to own one. but If that is not
possible a pocket pcnholdcr is certainly
within the means Of ALL Hlotting pa
per- too, OH public desks bears its own
evidence of soiling many hands. and
from its absorbing nature it Is especial
ly congenial to germ elements.
AS for public combs and brushes. the
danger is too evident AMI disgusting to
need advice against their use, and the
same applies to public towclsa public
convenience, perhaps, but common
source even today 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 trou-
bic
Common drinking cups may lie n
source Of Infection as well as of Il cool
ing or cNhiarating draft. rs the casc
may lie. and this applies just as muc!,
If not more SO to communion cups used.
1t is true. i'll Il holy cause. but none he
less likely 10 serve most wicked pilr-
pose Iii fact. any article touched by
the lips OF hands that passes from one
person to another may convey contn-
gious virus or infectious germs. Nor
Is 1t Necessary to even touch such arti-
clos
Library books are no doubt often CON
ycycrs of disease, AMI although libra
rans have been frequently urged Ivy
sanitarians to adopt some method OF
disinfccting books few If any have
seen fit to do so, although there is 4
cheap. harmless and cfiicacious method
of SO doing by fornaldchydc.
| Even articles that are in q sense pr-
vate property are possible factors in
disease causation. Postage stamps, for
example, and other gunincd articles,
notably the Zap Of an envelope, are
fertile fields for the growth OF germs
that may be blown or otherwise i'm
J. dnted upon the gummed surface, the
| danger being increased from the liabil-
1ty that the tongue may be cut by the
paper edge In molstcning them. The
| person who uses his tongue to moistcn
! stamps and the like may be infected or
! inoculated MS effectually as If the poi
Son were injected.
! The time will come when the intliyld-
ual Will have his individual objects Of
| dally use. Even in the household 1t Is
wise to have ones own towel, soap,
sponge and the like for the toilet Sure
~ every one nowadays has his or her
own toothbrush and comb and brush.
AT the table the fad Of having individ-
ual cups and saucers and other ware
Is a sensible one, though not a ncccs-
sary one In most cases. but IL there Is
any person In the family affected with
disease. especially consumption and the
like, 1t Is absolutely necessary that that
person have his or her own dishes of
such distinctive pattern that they
cannot he mistaken.
kissing has been much discussed
question. and while sentiment defends
the practice hygiene is in favor of abol-
lshing 1t, at least as mark Of public
aHecton. Many nn infant who hns
been given kiss of affection has I'm
reality been given the kiss Of death.
and In adult life serious diseases IL not
fatal ones have been transmitted by
the Kiss of one supposed to be pure, yet
saturated with disease. Doubtless the
crusade against kissing has been car
ried to an absurdlty. but promscuous
kissing, aside from It's indclicacy, is
dangerous.
The food that we eat may be q cause
or infection. Avoid filthy provision
store as you would the plague. Meat
that is mauled over dirty block. han
died with dirty hands and cut with n !!
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