The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1904-08-27
GERM FEAR Is A CRAZE.

Germ fear is feature of the 10th
century, declares the New York Tn
buae. There is an antiseptic or germ
destroying craze. The public, or a
part of it awakened, at last, to the
existence and the peril of germs, de-
mands-a little too frantically, per-
haps-germ 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
swallowing of germs, or their touch,
or their inhalation. Thus:
There ale on the market money
scoops-silver instruments of pocket
size-whereVith to handle unsteriliz-
ed coins.
There are germicide doormats.
These, being stepped upon in the
right spot, emit a spray of highly
volatile fluid that is supposed to rem
der harmless 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
inhalation of germs.
There are fumigating attachments
for letter boxes. These on being
compressed are guaranteed to ster-
ilize the recipients mail before he
touches it.
There are hanging tabular baths
for Railways. The ends of canes and
umbrellas, 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
communicant 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 drink
ing fountains and for other such pur-
poses.
It p1ax be dol4hted If so preat.
sssr-s-.kf $50 - al tanAeA I~..s~ae isa-
dicate is altogether sane. But It IS
at any rate a fear that does more good
than harm. Between the general
sanitary conditions of the present and
the past the contrast is amazing and
in bringing about of that contrast
the public fear of germs plays its
part.
In one of the London hospitals they
still preserve as a relic bed "a or IS
feet wide. In that bed in the past
dozen patients would lie side by side
one with consumption, another with
smallpox, third with typhoid fever,
and so on. 1t is different today.
Today contagion 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--w b o
hunts germs as a sportsman hunts
game. Innumerable are the wea-
pons wherewith the germ hunter seeks
his prey. A good place to examine
these weapons is a surgicalinstrument
shop.
"A surgical instrument dealer, on
being asked to exhibit his various
germ destroyers, pointed to door
mat. 1t was like any other doormat
of rubber, only a lemon shaped rub
Der bulb was attached to it.
"What," said the visitor, is that
bulb forl"
.I'll show you," the dealer an
swered. He stood upon the mat and
he compressed the bulb with his toe.
Immediately a silver colored mist
arose. For an instant he stood in
this mist ankle deep. Then, a S
quickly as it had arisen the mist dis
appeared, leaving the mans shoes
and the bottoms of his trousers quite
dry.
ibid you notice that spray of vola-
tile fluid % he said. "Well, that
was a spray Of germicide, or disin.
fectant. This is a patent germicide
doormat. This mat cleans your feet
when you come in of the disease germs
gathered in the mud and dust"
"a remarkable mat, said the Wis
itor. "Does it sell?"
"It sells we'll, the other answered
"All germ killing devices sell well in
this age. This is the age of germ
fear"
He took from a case an armful ol
glittering objects. They were oi
glass and silver, and their shapes
were strange"
"All these instruments" he said,
"kill germs or ward off germs. Twill
explain them to you."
He pointed to a small silver scoop
"That is a money SCOOP" he said
"a number of health faddists carry
scoops in their pockets. They know
that the average coin has on it about
million germs-germs of consump
ton, of smallpox, oftyphoid, of diph
theria-and therefore they will no
touch a coin with their fingers unit
it has been steri1ized. When yot
give them change they receive it II
their scoops instead of in their hands
Thence it goes into their sterilizet
purses. to be thoroughly fumigated a
home. l know three men and tw'
women who use their money scoops
The scoops are made of silver and they
cost a dollar apiece"
He took up tiny Tampa LAM