Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1903-01-21
KISSING AND HANDSPRING.
nr waee ,e haeinn,ne, IN have hahn q

DR.. Ware Is beginning to have help and
consolation. Not only is the anti-kiss.ng
bill defended in influential quarters. but
DR. J. NJ Hirsoh, Of Chicago. has drafted
O. law which he intends to submit to the
Illinois legislature. making it unlawful
for any person TO shake the hand Of
another unless he be certified by his
fecttous or contagious disease. DR..
H1rsch, has investigated this question and
the results are published in the Column
bus State Journal of last Sunday to-
gether with enErarings showing the vari-
ouS bacilli that have been found on tho
human hand.
It would appear from his showing that
any fellow withawhon1 you may stop
and clasp hands may convey to you the
germs Of consumption, or catarrh, or
other disease. He says the habit of so
many people Of holding their hands be-
fore their mouths before they cough is
very dangerous.-rto, those with whom
they may afterwards shake hands. Grip,
too. DR.. Hirsch thinks is spread by the
practice of hand shaking. Indeed. if
what he says be true, there ought to be
no more hand shaking--law or no law
unless the persons indulging In the habit
wear gloves. certified to be non-trans-
MISSILE Of germs.
d.. Hirschs bill is evidently modelled on
DR., Wares. and Ike the Iatter's, evil
IDENTIFY has been prepared more with the
object Of arousing public attention to
the subject than in expectation Of it's be-
Ing enacted Into law al the present time
Ii connection with Wares and Hirsch's
bills the Journal prints accounts Of OK
periments made by DR.. W. IL TAYLOR, OF
this city. while he was the professor OF
chemistry al tho Richmond High School
IA which he is alleged to have demon
strated before his class that q single
kiss, even from healthy lips, would trans
Ter millions OF bacteria to the object
kissed
Or. Taylor may or may not be correctly
quoted, but 1t is well known here that he
does not consider all bacteria dangerous.
On the contrary he regards most of them
as benefcent. He is wise and practical
1ran and has never been disposed to grow
paEicky about bacteria, While recogniz-
Ing the great contribution to science that
the bacteriologists have made
Numbers OF other scientists, it seems.
have FOUND bacteria IN kisses DR.. Ware
vii: be able to quote numerous authorities
sui Stimulating his View as to the -anger
OF kissing. should his bin ever come I'D for
discussion The Columbus State Journal.
aforesaid. publishes number Of culture
plates. Illustrating the work Of the
microscopic,
Or. Hirsch's contentious Investigations
end discoveries run on parallel lines with
those relating TO kissing. Summed up,
here's the way he says the ,nischief Is
done by hand shaking:
Step 1.-Triend with. say, diphtheria
blows his nose
Step a-Infects his own hand while put
ting handkerchief In his pocket.
Step S.--Meets you. shakes hands, and
!nsects your own hand Inconsciously.
Step 4.-You carry the germs to your
Dese or mouth on your own hand
Looking at this whole matter with the
eyes o. q iayman re cannot believe the
good Lord has heset the lives of his chiI-
sren with go many and such varied dan
GERS as some psychologists would have
us think But II the case be a tenth
part SO bad as they would make out,
there is q grave responsibility resting
Upon physicians Eho in going from one
patient to another must be liable to carry
la cterta in their hair or beard or In |
Their clothes or hands But re are In
riihed 70 believe with Or. Taylor that
though there are many bacteria, all OF T
Them are not Of murderous intention and
icnstruction.