The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1902-08-26
DIsEAsE-OABRYING GERMS.
Most Bacteria said to be Decidedly USE
full TO Mankind.
Youths CampanioD.

It is q a,mstter for congratulatlon
that only a few among the thousands
Of: species of bacteria are disease
producing. Most are, in fact, bene
fetal to mankind. Some have a
direct bearing on the welfare, if not
the very existence, of human life.
Species, for examples, are found in
the root knobs of peas and beans that
split up the mineral salts of the soil
which contain nitrogen, and also ab
sorbs nitrogen from>the air. This
nitrogen is, in turn, appropriated by
the plants themselves, enabling the
latter to flourish vigorously.
1t is probable that grasses, trees,
and nearly all forms of plant life are
in q similar way dependent upon the
presence of living bacteria at their
roots for their sustensnce.
The great strides made in the past
few years in the prevention of dis
ease-preVentive medicine, as it is
we'll named-are closely associated
with the study of these minute forms
of life, apd are largely dependent
on the increased knowledge now
possessed regarding the life histories
of the disease-produciug species.
While it has been known, for in.
stance, caught" in different ways, a
knowledge that microscopical bits Of
vegetable OF animal life, each having
its own favorable conditions of
growth and methods of dissemina
tion are the real factors, has enabled
physicians to deal more intelligently
with the means of prevention. The
manner of dissemination of disease
producing bacteria thus becomes one
of the most important matter of
hygiene.
The bacillus of influenza is one of
the smallest known bacteria 1t is
disseminated by air currents The
chief source of air contamination is
from dried sputum and expectora-
tions from the mouth, nose and bron-
chial tubes of persons suffering from
the disease.
tuberculosis has q similar mode
of entry into the human body; and
while all must at times inhale these
germs, owing to the great prevalence
of the diseases, one is perhaps sus-
ceptible to contagion only when "run
down." depressed. by unwholesome
conditions of life, or illness.
Typhoid fever is conveyed by con-
taminated water or milk or uncooked
food. The bacteria of the disease
may be carried to food by means of
flies. The importance of destroying
the excreta of patients suffering from
this disease is therefore evident.
The lockjaw bacillus, on the other
hand, is introduced into the body
through wounds, and to flourish
must be deeply implanted, as it is
one of those peculiar bacteria upon
which sunlight has destructive
effect.
The bubonic plague is conveyed
to man in a roundabout manner, as is
we'll known. Since the discovery
that it is introduced by the bites of
fess which previously become in.
fected by living on rats sick with it
q great deal of attention has been
given to insects which prey upon
mankind, with the result that not
few diseases have been demonstrated
to be possible of transmission by the
of insects.
The bscterium of pneumonia en-
ters the body by inhalation. 1t is
present in the saliva of twenty in
over one hundred normal persons.
All the facts discovered concern
ing disease bearing bacteria empha |
size the Importance of cleanliness,
personal, household and public.