The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1901-04-11
Oh, THE MICROBES!
A NEW DISCOVERY,
Disease and Death Lie in the Wake
Of TIE Broom.

"0A W oA0 ways VI ACA AOuSOuOlu
must be abolished.
DR.. Elmer w. Firth, of New York, a
fellow OF Columbia university, has
proven that the common b, DOM is a
great menace to public health.
The metropolitan papers are venti-
latlng the matter. They tell how DR..
Firth has been diligently on trail of
the broom aud has found that its use
whisks up into the air countless mill
lions of microbes otherwise out of
reach of the human being.
Armed with a machine ior collecting
the germs, DR.. Firth went into court
rooms, school rooms, churches, railway
trains, street cars, ferry boats, ETC., and
procured samples of the air in each, in
most cases before and after sweeping
These samples of air he took to his
laboratory, and under the microscope
he counted the germs.
The result was, to cav the least, re-
markable, and points a significant
moral in the matter of public santa
tlon. For instance, on single fiber
one and a half inches long, taken from
the cocoa mating of train DR.. Firth
counted nearly two million bacteria
It was an Inner fiber, however. On an
outer fiber, which had been exposed to
the feet of the multitude, there were
found between three and four million
germs.
In an ordinary room, previous to
sweeping, the Investigator found an
average Of 600 germs per cubic meter ;
after dry sweeping he found an average
of $4,000 germs per cubic meter, show
ing that sweeping increased the mum
Der of bacteria thirty times.
In a we'll known church, from which
DR.. Firth obtained specimens of air
while the building was being busted,
he estimated the number of micro-or-
ganlsms flying through cubic meter
of air (that is, little oyer a cubic
yard) to be 1879. That was the
number he obtained in his cultures
Twelve hours later, when the dust had
settled, his samples of air showed only
5,857 organisms per cubic meter, or
less than one-third the number.
When sufficient evidence of micro
organisms had been secured, DR.. Firth
made report to the College of Physi-
clans and Surgeons of New York.
Some of his conclusions were startling.
He says carpets should be abolished
from theatres, churches, and court
rooms fiber mats should be prohibited
from cars and boats; non-absorbent
flooring should be used in all public
places dry sweeping should not be
allowed in the presence OF numbers OF
persons damp cloths and wet sawdust
only should be used in cleaning houses
and public buildings, because the lat
ter are settling basins tor mlcrobe-laden
dust; no attempt should be made to
conceal dust and dirt, as is the aim Of
certain absorbent floor materials now
commonly used, and dlsinfection
should not be substituted Tor the re-
moyai of accumulated dirt.
Numerous. Investigations" says DR..
Firth, "have demonstrated the presence
of micro organisms in the air every
where and under all conditions, except
over the open sea, on mountain sum-
mlts and in the polar regions, bnt they
are found in greatest numbers in the
vicinity OF large cities, especially
where poor hygienlc conditions prevail.
"The cleaning in public schools re-
ceives too little attention. The class
rooms are swept with q dry broom
every afternoon, and the dusting is
done in the morning before the school
opens. Where twenty or thirty rooms
with their seats aud desks. have to be
busted by two men before 9 O'Clock the
process must be too rapid and is usual
ly accomplished by passing up and
down between the rows of desks with q
| feather duster In each hand and brush
ing the dust in the air. Water is eel
dom, il ever, applied. As result the
cracks between the floor boards become
filled with dust, which Is stirred up al
least twice a day during the physical
culture which each class is obliged to
take. THIS exercise begins with march
ing in single file around the room and
back and forth between seats, after
which the pupils are instructed to
take long and deep breaths' of the
dusty air"
All of this is sufficient demonstra.
ton of the fact that the housewife
must take to herself new insignia ol
/ power. Instead of the broom as hel
scepter, behold the up-to-date woman
with cloth OF generous proportions
and pail OF water.
/ You cannot enjoy perfect health, rosy
cheeks and sparkling eyes il your 1ivel
iis slI.ggish and YOUR bowels cloeRed