The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1903-06-29
BERRIES AND CREAM.

|
| ing muff1es, and microscopes the BIZ
oI0gists are enabled TO contribute
more than their share to the unhap-
Diness Of mankind. 1t would seem as
| if a motion before one of the more
svmpathetic justices of the supreme
court, praying that they be enjoined
and restrained from unnecessarily
prOmulgating any more Of their al
legged discoveries, should receive ia
yorable consideration. There is also
opportunity for movement for the
projection of microbes against the
ruthless pursuit which seeks, if it
does not menace, their determination.
Its motto might very we'll be para
phrase Of the lines of Cowper:
That heart is hard by nature, and I'M
, For human fellowship, that is not
pleased
To see bacteria enjoying life,
| Nor feels their happiness augment its
own.
That the bacillus which finds itself
| in a favorable environment enjoys life
| in it's own way and is happy is at least
fair presumption. To what extent
| it is entitled to protection in accom-
plishing its function in nature is per-
haps rather a matter of sentiment
than Of Judgment A society for the
prevention Of cruelty to bacteria
| might at least be able to give us in
| time a good deal Of comforting liter
allure to offset that of an extremely
| disquieting nature which emanates
from the meteorological laboratories.
For example, We learn through con-
sular sources that the Germans have
| lately been at work in the cOmpila-
ton OF facts calculated to unsettle
| the faith of the average man in the
| kindly fruits OF the earth. They are
| finding that tne skin OF fruit as it
reaches market is covered with in
Vulnerable micro Organlsms. Two
| hundred grams (about half a pOund)
of the fruits which enter most largely
] into summer consumption have been
| found BY "trustwOrthy methods of
| computation to sustain upon their
surfaces bacteria in the following
numbers: Huckleberries 400, 900 ;
| damsOn plums. 40 900; yellow p1ums
| 100 900; pears. 10000; gOoseberries
| LOCO 900: strawberries, 1000, 900 :;
raspberries, 4,000.O00; grapes, 5000
| 900: CUrrants. II goo 000 cherries
12,000,000. The degree OF alarm
which these large figures may war
rant doubtless uepends in great de
gree upon the kinds of mcrO-Organ-
isms which go to make up these appaI-
ling totals. On that point We are left
to our own conclusions. The man
who takes the trouble to count 1900
| no nil hol f obo
has done all that may reasonably be
expected Of MIN.
majority of the fruits above men
toned are deemed most palatable
when covered with sugar-Which may
be said to pusate with organic life
and submerged in cream. Milk of
average quality has been found to con
tain 36.S milligrams of dirt" and as
many as 1887 500 bacteria to the
quart when fresh from the COW. At
ter twenty-fOurs the number of bac-
terra has SO increased that in a cubic
centimeter 81, 500, 900 have been
cOunted-Or at least guessed at
Cream is even richer than milk in
micro organisms. Probably one line
OF column width is not long enough
10 contain the figures needed to rep
resent the number of bacilli in the
least quantity of cream which could
be measured
The popular value of this sort of
| information is at least open to ques-
ton. The facts may be as stated. but
their significance is variable through
so wide a range that the mere enum-
| Grafton OF micro organisms in a given
article OF food is alarming without
being in the least instructive Fresh
| berries and sweet cream have been
counted as wholesome as they are pal
atable since civilization began-and
1t may be for an indefinite period an
| terror thereto. To
Carp the suave berries from the cres-
cent vine
And bibe the flow of Iongicaudate
kline
may not be conducive to health or
| longevity. but since poor humanity
must do something, and will continue
20 DO this where opportunity offers.
perhaps it is just as we'll not to keep
the unpleasant facts Of bacterial anal
ysls too prominently in evidence in
current literature. Man cannot eyade
the mIcrobe. however he may try.
Perhaps if he could he would have
more reason to wonder what is the
matter with him than he has now.
RlH-lNe got to work hard next
year. Raff-What aren't YOU COM