The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-07-27
INVESTIGATION WILL BE THOROUGH The Possibility of Infection Through Inhalation MICROBES MUST HAVE AIR pr. WyIam States That vlrulent Germs VIII Not Invade System Until
 Vitality Is Greatly
 Depressed.
MICROBES MUST HAVE AIR

Washington, July 26-(special.) .)-Gov- ernment pathologists and bacteriologists are following with great interest the gen. eral movement under the auspices of the local boards of health of the larger cities toward securing better ventilation of street cars. churches, places of public amusement, etc, in connection with the sanitation of the same, and hope that much light can be thrown upon the pos sibility of infection through inhaling the respirations of diseased persons.
 The report has been received here, and noted with much satisfaction, that In furtherance of this project the New York board of aldermen has made special ap- propriation of s1000O for the New York board of health to be devoted to the study of pneumonia and acute respiratory dis eases and the possibility of infection through inhalation. Dr. Briggs. of the New York health department, says:
 ''It has been established that acute res- piratory diseases are infectious and we believe they are produced by germs. Theoretically they should be preventable. In large percentage. of cases, where we know that the germ Is and how it enters the body, they are in a measure preventable. Generally speaking the germs do not multiply outside of the liv- ing body, the inference must be that the disease is contracted from some other in- dividual who has the germs. The mor- tality in this group has slowly increased for the last thirty years"
 Of National Reputation.
 It is understood that the commission which will have charge of this important posed of pathologists and bacteriologists of national reputation, and among the names suggested as possible members of 1t are those of pr. Edward G. Janeway of New York; Dr. William H. Welch and pr. William osler of Johns Hopkins uni versity of Baltimore; pr. Theobald Smith of Harvard university and Dr. T. Mitchell Prudden, head of the patheo- logical department of the College ofPhy- 'sicians and Surgeons of Columbian unl- versity.
 In this connection Dr. Walter Wyman, surgeon general of the United States Marine hospital service, said:
 We have lately been compelled to modify some of our notions of the causes of contagious and infectious diseases. After the brilliant discoveries by Pas teur and Koch 1t was thought that the presence of the pathogenic microbe or- ganism was like the bite of a venomous snake, surely posionous But now we know that there are other conditions be- sides the presence of the mierobe nec- essary to produce disease. Many people go about with virulent diplococci of pneumonia in their respiratory tract but do not have pneumonia, Why? Because their cells are vigorous enough to pre- vent the dplooocci invading the lungs. but put such person under bad sanitary conditions or ,depress his vitality and the microbes are not hagocoysted--they in- wade the lungs and pneumonia and death Follows. The same to limited degree. occurs with the bacillus diptheriae.
 Have Cholera VibrIc.
 Tn times of cholera epidemics men go about with living, virulert cholera yibric in their intestinal canal, yet they are not sick. Why? Because the conditions for the production of the cholera toxins are not favorable-there is no abnormal flora in their intestinal canal. But let such a. person eat poor and tainted food or de- range ms digestion through indiscretion or evil sanitary surroundings and the dis ease results.
 Many people live a long and active life with tubercle bacilli encysted in the apex Of one lung. As long as they have plenty of fresh air and sunshine and good sani- tary surroundings they remain we'll But give such person poor food or bad sani- tary surroundings and see what happens. The battle going on between the bacilli and the cells results in a victory for the bacilli. The cells die and the victorious bacilli spread havoc through the lungs. We therefore have a scientific proof of the sense of the old time notions of the old fashioned doctors who taught the value of fresh air and sunshine, of good food and exercise, of cleanliness, and dry dwellings and we ind that the conditions of health which result from such good sanitary conditions are after all among the very best preyentives against infec- tion."