Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-01-02
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
The Germ Theory as Applied to Farm
Buildings and Pastures"
To tho EDITOR of the Free Press.

Mr.. Higbee appears in a new role, th1t
of "A scarcher after truth. Heretofore he
has posed as "A critic. and as much. Ter
want of knowledge of the subject unier
consideration, has not cut much Oh
figure. In his communication in Satur-
days Free Press he seems in somewhat
covert manner to be seeking information
Had he taken the trouble to consult any I
the staff at our state Lal oratory or nm =
cd the hill to the Experiment station he
would have obtained the desired informal
ton. Probably the DANCE: of meeting
bug with a thirteen inch name deferred
him.
The tubercle bacillus is as essential to
the contraction of tuborCuiC sis or con-
sumption as snow is to good sl'ighlng in
our Vermont winters. 1t is strict para
s!tc.-that Is 20 say, 1t does not grow I'M
der natural conditions outside the bodies
of man and animals. 1t has frequently
been found however in the dust of hos
pitfalls. dwellings, barns. railways, street
cars, etc, in places where consump' "
have expectorated, or whore dropped in
the CxCrcta of animals. Very rarely has
ii been found in the air
Tubcrcle bacili are very susceptible to
tho action of direct sunlight, being dos
trovod in from few minutes to some
hcu,s according to circumstances EX-
posed to diffuse day light, they are killed
i'm week.
Though they dc not form spores, az far
a. known, the bacili have a SOM 'wh It
greater resisting power to heat and doSSl-
cation than many other disease producing
bacteria, frequently retaining their Niru-
lonre ir a dr ID condition at the ordinary
temperature Under favorable conditions,
for months.
An instance is reported Of a healthy
family having become nfoCtod with tubcr-
oulosis from living in room which had
been occupied by consumptiVe patient
two years before. and on examination Of
the sputum-stairod wall paper not only
were tuhercl" bacilli found in IT, but when
inoculatcd into guinoa-p pigs they died of
the disease.
Exposed to 9l2 degrees f. dry heat does
not kill the bacilli in twelve hours, but
moist heat at 10j degrees f.. destroys them
in fifteen minutes. Cold has little or no
effect upon them.
Thc resisting power of this bacillus
against chemical Cisinfcctants is consi-
dcrable, especially in sputrm, whore or
ganisms are protected by mucus from
penetration by germicidal agent.
They We're killed in spUtum in about six
hours by an equal amount of a three per
cent solution OF carholic acid, ana in about
one hour by a fVe-per- cent solution,
EichlOride of mercury, subli-
nate,-in solution of | to 100 is the ideal
disinfectant for cleansing the walls,
floors, etc, Of infected dwellings, stable s.
etc, although highly poisonous it can I've
handled with inpUrity, and VIII destroy
all germs and sporc-containing infectious
material if properly al piled.
There are many other germiCides that
are effectual and under certain cordi-
lions better to Use. Formalin is the chief
of these
Thus 1t can be seer that the farmer who
has had his tuhorculous cattle disposed of
and roOlappS them in the same stable