New-York tribune., 1905-02-24
DISEASE IN PAPER MONEY
Il Craze Menace to Health, DR..
Darlington Declares.
FROM THE TRIBUNE BuREAU.I

Washington, Feb 23-Dr Thomas Darlington
president Of the New-York City Board of Health
appeared before the House Committee on Banking
and Currency to-day and addressed a sub-com-
rnlttee on the danger incurred through circula
ton OF unclean money. He declared that the con-
clusion reached by the advisory committee of the
New-York Board of Health was 10 the effect that
1T is desirable. in the interest of public health,
that soiled bills be withdrawn circulation as
soon as practicable" DR.. Darlington who has
shown great interest in the subject and has made
careful and extended experiments with the bacteria
on dirty money, assured the committee that paper
money will carry disease germs for one month
four hours. The germs however he 0 found mul
LILY TaPIGy y curing @ the period OF their life in un-
to the health Of the public. DR.. Darlington ex-
plained that experiments had been made with
germs Of only two diseases consumption and
asceraned that both may be communcaed fg6 2egn
one person to another on money.
vding for greater safety from through the
presented IN support of lring money Of this kind
and in view Of the approa ch Of the end of the
session; it is doubtful if the friends of the pro-
port before the expiration of the 58th Congress
Tests on money were made by Dr. William H.
Park Of the Willard Parker Hospital. in this city
The tests confirmed DR.. DarIiDgton's theory that
paper money in particular is grave factor in the
spread of contagious disease
DR.. Parks report in part contained the following:
An agar plate was streaked with a diphtheria
culture; penny. dime a nickel. a piece of g,ass
and piece of PAPER money tall seriel were placed
considerable area Of no growth around Zach coin,
apparently of tho same extent in each case while
money. This experiment was repeated, and the
A sterile penny. dime and nickel were inoculated
with a serum culture Of dphtheria and dried At
removed from all the coins. This experiment
repeated, using watery suspension Of the bacilli
drying the bacilli We're removed from the dime and
9' o9r 1I R dRn H no dpheT bae e % %eTe re-
recovered from any of the coins This experiment
pension of serum culture was again used Two
pennies, two nlckeis two dimes, and two pieces OF
glass (al sterile) were nocuated with the suspen-
Cultures were made at the end of twenty-four
piece of glass. and at the end of forty-eight
iberia baciiIi we're recovered at the end twenty
four hours from any Of the coins; while from both
pieces OF glass they were obtained at both twenty
four and forty-eight hours.
sterile bill was inoculated with diphtheria bacilt
not on the sixth day. The experiment was repeat
teen then tWentIone dsys and finally at the end
Of one month The coins glass and bill were all
kept at room temperature. A number Of pennies
dren suerne from dipStReria No dpRheria bac
could be obtained from these coins twenty four
The results Of these experiments indicate that the
met Nth bscera through the soivent action Of
rnoistures are deleterious. while in paper there are
being due to the effect Of drying
The effect Of metals is clearly shown in the follow
ing experiment: A spray Of water containing the
ordinarv Intestinal color bacillus thrown
pieces Of copper. silver. nickel and paper. and al
lowed IN dTv at room temperature After three
hours the test substances were washed off, and the
number Of living bacteria noted:
Tn. number Of bacteria deposited each test
Tbe number Of bacteria alive after three hours
TIP. psPST PHGnSeT Of bacteria three hours on
The number OF bacteria alive after three hours
~ orner
T-baeA conclusions are substantated by examining
q number of coins and bills taken from cheap
jewelry store. 49,.
~ living bacteria
Al living bacteria
noS.rately clean bills averaged 250 living bacteria
averaged 'idVOo lFlns bacteria
When DR.. Darlington got home from Washington
lsst night he said the outlook was much more hope
mi thar last year for the legislation sought THAT
- psyt Congress will formulate and pass the
14cessary legislation 10 reduce 70 a minimum the
Ts,,ger ~ Infection and contagiOn on dirty PAPER
-,.Tev I am Convinced suggested that Con-
ross might authorize the Secretary of the Treas
-, to nav the expressage bills as he does now
~ COIN In this way money would be put