The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1902-04-29
HEAT AND DISEASE.
THE SUMS RAYS ARE FATAL TO MANY
SPECIES OF GERMS.

As o Disinfectant Sunlight In the
Greatest Agent In Nature-Tem-
peratures at Which Disease Germs
are Destroyed.
Sunlight is fatal to some of the lower
forms Of living things, including GER
tain disease germs which are the cause
Of some of the most fatal infectious
diseases that affiict the human race.
In fact, the greatest disinfectant in ma
ture is light, or, to be more exact, the
radiations Of the sun, including heat
rays, light rays and the invisible rays
at the violet end of the solar spectrum.
An infectious disease is one which
may be contracted by the Introduction
into the living body of living disease
germs, which may be contained in diff
ferent kinds of infectious material.
Thus the disease germ (bacillus) which
produces diphtheria is contained in the
"exudate' or false membrane de-
posted in the throat or nasal passages
of those suffering from this disease.
and the material coughed up by pa
tent with diphtheria is infectious ma
the discharges from the bowels con-
tain the germ and are consequently in
fectious material.
Now, the object of disinfection is to
prevent the extension of infectious dis
eases by destroying the specific infec-
tious agents germs-which give rise to
them; and this is accomplished by the
use of disinfectants. Having, as nope,
made this clear.
Any chemical agent which destroys or
masks bad odors is commonly spoken Of
as disinfectant, and there are large
number of so called "disinfectants" In
the market which are simply deodor-
ants and which are entirely untrust-
worthy for the destruction of infectious
material-that is, material containing
living disease germs.
These disease germs belong to the
class OF low vegetable organisms-mi-
croscoplc plants-known as bacteria,
which as a rule thrive better in the
darkness than when exposed to day
light, and some OF them are quickly
destroyed by exposure to direct sun
| light. In experiments made by me in
| 1893 it was demonstrated that the chol-
era bacillus is infallibly killed by ex-
| posture to direct sunlight for an hour or
| two, and the distinguished German
bacteriologist, DIR. Robert Koch, has
shown that the bacillus of consumption
l-tubercle bacillus-is destroyed by
similar exposure in a time varying
from few minutes to several hours,
depending upon the thickness Of the
layer Of material in which it is i'm
bedded.
As a result Of this it is evident that
the material coughed up by patients
with consumption and containing tu-
bercle bacilh in vast numbers is far less
dangerous to the community in regions
where the patient can live out Of doors
and where the sun shines nearly every
day in the year.
Some disease germs which are not
killed outright by exposure to the SUMS
rays are greatly restrained in their de-
velopment. This is true Of the bacillus
Of typhoid fever. Although it has been
shown by carefully conducted expert
ments that certain disease germs are
promptly destroyed by the luminous ra-
diations from the sun, and especially
by those at the violet end Of the solar
spectrum, it is also true that the heat
rays play an important part in the de-
struction of harmful bacteria.
| This is partly due to the fact that
certain disease germs are quickly de-
stroyed by being deprived of all mois-
ture-by desiccation. Thus the germs
Of cholera and of pneumonia quickly
perish when completely dried.
Other germs, however, as those Of
typhoid fever, of diphtheria and Of
consumption, may retain their vitality
In dried condition for several months.
But the germs Of all these diseases are
destroyed by comparatively low tenn
perature. In experiments which
made several years ago ascertained
that the germs of pneumonia and of
cholera were killed by exposure for q
few minutes to temperature of 126
degrees f.
A still lower temperature is effective
II the time of exposure Is prolonged.
lit is therefore evident that prolonged
exposure to the direct rays Of the sun
would destroy these germs independ-
emily of the disinfecting power or
f;ermicidal action of the luminous rays
CIR the fatal results Of desiccation.
Other disease germs require high
or temperature for their destruction.
The typhoid bacillus and the bacillus
Of diphtheria are killed by exposure
to temperature of 40 degrees r. for
ten minutes In general, it may be
stated that this temperature Is fatal
to all the most important disease germs.
The facts stated furnish a scientific
basis for practical disinfection, and it
Ia evident that when sunshine is avail
able no chemical agents are essential
for the destruction Of disease germs.
Any article of food or drink which has
been heated for few minutes to some
thing near the boiling point Of water
is absolutely safe. SO far as any dan
ger from disease germs is concerned,
and any article of clothing which has
been put through the ordinary opera
tons of the laundry is as safe as If it
hsd been placed for an hour in an ex-
pensive steam disinfector or immersed
in a strong disinfecting solution.
1T will be seen that scientific investi-
cations fully justify the practice Of
good housewives, who at frequent In
telvals expose their blankets and arti-
cles of wooden clothing, which cannot
be placed in boiling water without in
jury, to prolonged sun bath, who
scslld out milk pans and kitchen uten-
sils and place them in the sun to dry
AMI who open up their sleeping apart
ments for the admission Of sunlight
and fresh air.-Surgeon General Stern
berg In Youths Companion.
The Three Meal Habit.
Our three meal habit is a fearful
tax on our working capacity. 1t trebles
the temptation to overeating. Our
champions stagger under the weight Of
physiological handicap. One-half of
the functional energy Of the system is