The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1904-08-19
GERM FEAR Is A CRAZE.
RU5LlC FRANTtCALLY DEMAND
ING DEVICES FOR PRO-
lection.

the Twentieth Century--Mtlions of
Germs Destroyed Daily, but Sci
ence Finds New Millions.
Germ fear is a feature OF the goth
century, declares the New York Tri-
bune. There is an antiseptic or germ
destroying craze. The public. or 4
part OF 1t awakened. at last. 10 the eX-
istence and the peril of germs. de-
mands-a little too frantcaly. per-
4, lhaps-g protection.
In response to this demand there are
offered to the public many strange and
Ingenious devices. The object of
these devices is the prevention of all
such diseases as arise from the swal-
lowing of germs, or their touch or
their inhalation. Thus
There are on the market money
scoops--silyer instruments of pocket
size wherewith to handle msterlized
coins
TThere are germicide doormats
II ese. being stepped upon in the right
spot, emit a spray of highly volatile
mud that is supposed to render harm
less the millions of disease germs
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 fumgating attachments
tyr letter boxes. These, on being com
pressed, are guaranteed to sterilize the
recipients mail before he touches it,
There are hanging tabular 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
germ killing vapor. These are for the
cleansing of cups at public drinking
fountains and for other such pur-
poses
1t may be doubted if so great fear
of germs as all these devices indicate
is altogether sane. But it is at any
rate, fear that does more good than
harm. Between the general sanitary
conditions of the present and the past
the contrast is amazing and in the
bringing about Of that contrast the
public fear of germs plays its part.
in one of the London hospitals they
still preserve as d relic bed IA OF Is
feet wide In that bed in the past a
dozen patients would lie side by side,
one with consumption, another with
smallpox, third with typhoid fever,
and so on. 1t is different today. To-
day contagOn and infection are
guarded against as thoroughly as
thieves are guarded against By misers.
And still these precautions increase.
Every month, every week, some new
preventive Of the spread OF disease is
devised
And there has sprung up the germ
hunter-the health faddist-Who hunts
germs as sportsman hunts game. In
Vulnerable are the weapons wherewith
the germ hunter seeks his prey.
good pdace to examine these weapons
is surgical instrument shop
A surgical instrument dealer, on be-
ing asked to exhibit his various germ
destroyers, pointed to doormat. 1t
was like any other doormat of rubber.
only a lemon shaped rubber bulb was
attached to it.
What" said the visitor, is that
bulb for?"
I'm show you" the dealer answered.
He stood upon the mat and he COM
pressed the bulb with his toe. imme-
diately a silver colored mist arose. For
an instant he stood in this mist ankle
deep Then as quickly as it had arisen
the mist disappeared, leaving the
mans shoes and the bottoms of his
trousers quite dry.
did you notice that spray of VIOLA
tile fuid?" he said. We'll, that was
spray of germicide, or disinfectant.
This is a patent gcrmicide doormat.
This mat cleans your feet when yon
come in of the disease germs gathered
in the mud and dust.
"a remarkable mat said the visit
or. Does it SELF"
1T sells well" the other answered.
"All germ killing devices sell well in
this age. This is the age of germ
fear"
He took from case an armful OF
glittering objects. They were OF glass
and silver. and their shapes were
strange"
"All these instruments, he said,