Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-11-20
DISEASE GERMS

The discoveries 300 relation .o F.'"'
or tht spores off bacteria as tH0 .'N
OF disease continue tH reveal One roc.
that caraleseue-s often spreads H.'"t-
u8ut ma'aiirs
Tho bacteria of da.ase. BE- m"N H'
observed. orc "a species Of microscopy"
funri. sa small that millions of in'"
would scarcely bo porceptlhlc to inc
naked eye when held on the point OF '
needle. They are propagated by spores
invisible microscopic dust That N'a.a
into the alr from dry substances on
which these plants grow while in m'lF-
ture. A. long as they have food an'
moisture She bacteria multiply rapidly,
aud would do so indefinitely, except
for the fact that they produce ana
throw on roirous that operate 90 check
their own multiplication Certain germs
increase most rapidly &c about The tenn
peraturr or the human body. but Whou
their food supply fails they stop multi
PLYING and simply pass into the spore
STAGE. In this form they are Ear more
difficult to destroy than when in their
ordinary NE stage Cold. Tor example
On the spore -tace. seems 90 have no
effect upon some of them They win
1.-Two frozen iu joe flr Ions periods. This
Is especially true of the germ Of typhoid
fever which retains SIS virility though
reucatcdlv frozen Heat ls the sure
agent of their destruction. Boiling In
water for q few minutes Is regarded
d. re.r
This fact teaches the efficacy or the
use OF hot water for cleansing purposes.
ANY ~ the disiufect1uts, even common
SOAP. in the hot water win 0dd 20 its
germ destroying power.
Tn she spore stage the bacteria float
az invisible dust alighung anywhere
ana terminating when conditions are
favorable In the human body condi-
tions are favorable for their reproduc-
ton n the vitality is low, or ~ they
gain entrance into the blood through
any abrasion OF the skin.
Thus the germs OF diphtheria physi-
clans say. may be Zoo the saliva OF
heaIthful persons without any IN result
but N sore throat from any
cause then occurs, the germs viii
lodge upon f. and be supplied with
food whore the liberation or break n
the mucous membrane occurs Then
they multiply rapidly producing a poi
son that may be fatal 10 the patient
In Chicago. the city provides for the
cultivation Of the germs found IN the
mouth Of any person taken with sore
throat No physician there ever pro-
nounces a throat disease diphtheria He
sends the saliva to the board OF health
which supplies the germs with condi-
lions necessary to their rapid multiple
cation, and IN a very few hours anyone
can see. by mere inspection. whether or
not the germs are those Of dlphtheria.
Promptness ia this determination Is am
important since the germs multiply
with such rapidity that the patient Is On
serious danger long before the physician
can tell without the laboratory test
for the presence Of the bacteria. wheth
or the disease f. dlphtheria or not.
These definite plain. and simple re-
suits OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL science are nee
ognlzed in Chicago and the death rate
there from dlphtheri1 ls said 20 be far
smaller than in cities Ike our own
which are content 20 rely upon the slow
and necessarily uncertain general dag
nosis of the physician. Hero D. a fruit
ful field. in which uu Intelligent city
council can do some really important
work Tor the progress of this city ana
the health Of its people