The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-06-07
THE PUBLIC DRINKING CUP.

PROBABLY the most important step
taken by the recent meeting of the
State and Provisional Board of Health
which met at the national capital a
few weeks ago, was in reference to
the public drinking cup on passenger
coaches.
Physicians who have been giving
the matter attention have reached the
conclusion that one of the prolific
sources of contagion, especially in
such diseases as cancer, consumption,
and others is the promiscuous using
of the drinking cup ON the modern
train. That vessel is constructed in
such a way that if there are any
germs on the lips of an individual who
has used it, they will find Judgment
beneath the rim which surrounds the
top. The next person using it would.
because of the very position in which
it is placed for drinking. take these
germs into the stomach direct. or if
not that. they will be caught by the
muscuos membrane of the lips and
later pass into the mouth or be alb
sorbed into the blood through the
mucous lining of the lips.
The plan which was formulated by
the recent convention and which was
largely the work of Dr. Healy of this
state. is that the surgeon general of
the United States. who has control of
matters Of a sanitary character when
they come in contact with interstate
commerce. shall issue an order pro-
hibiting the use of general drinking
cup on all trains engaged in inter-
state passenger transportation.
The only trouble seems to be in
making the matter practical in its
operations. 1t was a question with
the board whether or not it would be
proper to prevent the railroad COM
panies from carrying drinking vessels
in the coaches. The idea was that
each traveller should carry one of his
own for his own use. The matter of
cost was considered and it was found
that concern was now manufactur-
ing parafine cup which could be sold
on trains for one cent and allow
good profit. This it was thought would
largely solve the problem.
1t may be possible that the new
order of things cannot be introduced
| in the form of resolution. and that
| the change must come gradually.
However. there would ibe no very
serious hardship in requiring passen-
gers to carry their own drinking cups,
and thereby avoid the nausea of drink
| ing from one which had been polluted
by dozen people within half hour.
Another thing which should be in
sisted upon by the government is the
employment of train porters who
know something of hygiene and the
! proper methods of ventilation. 1t is
often the case that pneumonia and its
kindred diseases are contracted from
the ignorant ventilation of passenger
! coaches. The temperature is allowed
to reach a point where it becomes I'M
bearable and then when the mercury
outside is twenty below zero, a porter
proceeds to open every ventilator in
the coach and not only subjects the
passengers to a heavy draft, but al
lows the temperature in the coach to
become so low that the body is chilled
and the foundation laid for pneumonia.
These things are matters of daily
occurrence on passenger coaches and
the only wonder is that the fatalities
traceable to this cause are not more
numerous than they are.
| If the government would require
qualification of the train porters on
these matters there would soon be as
much comfort and security in the
railway coach as there is in the best
| regulated home. ........