The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-06-11


When stepped upon at the right spot it
discharges a spray that is supposed to
kill germs on the shoes.
gathered on the shoes amid the dust
and mud of the cities.
There are wind wells, for men no
less than women, to be worn over the
mouth and nose as a preventive of
the inhalation Of germs.
There are fumigating attachments
letter boxes. These, on being COM
pressed, are guaranteed to sterilize the
recipients mail before he touches it.
There are hanging tubular baths for
Railways. The ends of canes and UNI
| brellas dipped in these baths, come.
forth clean of germs.
There are aseptic communion cups,
| with tiny rotating brushes that wash
the cups edges as they pass from one
communicate to another.
There are generators that sterilize
carpets, walls, clothing, books, etc.
There are pocket lamps that emit
a germ killing vapor. These are for
the cleansing Of cups at public drink
| poses.
It may be doubted if so great a fear
| of germs as all these devices indicate
is altogether sane.
In one Of the London Hospitals they
| still preserve as a relic a bed four
| ICSu VI 11llSSll lSel WluG. LII Llldl DSu
in the past a dozen patients would lie
side by side, one with consumption,
another with smallpox a third with
typhoid fever, and so on
1t is different to-day. To-day con-
tagion and infection are guarded
guarded against by misers. And still
these precautions increase. Every
month, every week, some new preven-
tive Of the spread Of disease is devised.
The Germ Hunter.
And there has sprung UP the germ
hunter = the health faddist - who
game. Innumerable are the weapons
wherewith the germ hunter seeks his
prey. A good place to examine these
weapons is a surgical instrument shop.
A surgical instrument dealer, on be-
ing asked to exhibit his various germ
destroyers, pointed to a doormat. It
was like any other door1nat Of rubber,
only a lemon-shaped rubber bulb was
attached to it.
What" said the visitor, us that
bulb for?"
It'll show you,' the dealer
He stood upon the mat and he COM
pressed the bulb with his toe. I'm
mediately silver colored mist arose.
For an instant he stood in this mist
ankle deep. linen, as quickly as II
had arisen, the mist disappeared, leav-
ing the mans shoes and the bottoms
of his trousers quite dry.
did you notice that spray Of VIOLA
tile fluid? ?" he said. well, that was
a spray of germicide, or disinfectant
This is a patent germicide doormat
This mat cleans your feet when you
come in Of the disease germs gath.
cred in the mud and DUST
"A remarkable mat said the Wis
itor. Does it SELF"
"It sells well,' the other answered
: "Au germ-killing devices sell wei
t in this age. This is age Of germ fear
, He took from a case an armful O.
glittering objects. They were Of glass
7 and silver, and their shapes wer
strange.
"All these instruments" he said
! ''kill germs or ward off germs. I will
I explain them to you"
He pointed to small silver scoop
: The Horrors of Money.
"That is a money SCOOP" he said
"a number of health faddists carr,
scoops in their pockets. They know
+ that the average coin has on it abou
+ a million germs-gernls of consunp
!. ton, of smallpox, of typhoid, Of diph
!. theria-and therefore they will nc
9 touch a coin with their fingers unit
it has been sterilized. When you Civ
v them change they receive it in thei
!. scoops instead of in their hands
Thence it goes into their sterilize
e purses, to be thoroly fumigated a
: home. know three men and tw
: women who use these money scoops