Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-07-18
HOMES FOR GERMS
IN CRACKED CHINA
OF LUNCHR00MS |
BaciIIi Lurk in Crevices of
Milk and Coffee Mugs.
GOVERNMENT EXAMINATION
Agricultural Department, at Stars
Request, Makes Report.
DUE TO FILTHY CONDITIONS

Many Thousands Of Organisms Con-
tanned Within the Reeesses Of
the Broken Utensils-Rea-
sons Against the Use Of
Such Tableware.
Beware of the cracked mug
of the Washington quick-lunch
room!
The cracked mug is an essen
tial part of the establishments
where government employees,
clerks and merchants snatch thei-
midday meal, and the cracks are
full of germs.
The bureau of chemistry of the
Department of Agriculture says
so, and has reached such a con-
clusion after a careful investiga-
ton begun at the instance of The
Star. Many thousands of organ
isms lurk within the recesses Of
the damaged china, according to
the expert chemists.
In the many cracks in cups and dishes
used every day in almost every lunchroom
and restaurant in this city there exist and
multiply many thousands OF germs that
are more or less Injurious to the human
body and productive Of disease.
This fact has just been proved beyond
doubt through the efforts of The Star. Sew
eral weeks ago, before the District health
department began its investigation Of the
sanitary condition of lunchrooms. re-
porters on The Stars staff visited a num-
Der of lunchrooms in the downtown dis
trict and selected at random cups and
coffee mugs. the only requirement being
that they be cracked to some extent Such
dishes were easily found in ordinary use.
and those obtained were In everyday
service.
At the request Of The Star and with the
approval of Chief Wiley Of the bureau of
chemistry, Department of Agriculture.
and Secretary Wilson. a careful bac-
THEOLOGICAL examination of the cracks in
these vessels was made by DR.. George
W. Stiles. ARCHAEOLOGICAL chemist OF the
department DR.. Stiles, in order to make
his report more complete. examined f1f-
teen additional vessels collected in the
same manner.
Finds Thousands Of Organisms.
Dr. Stiles, who has just made his re-
port, says in the beginning:
1.-The following report is submitted on
the archaeological examination OF the
filth contained in crevices OF cups and
coffee mugs sent to this bureau by Tho
Washington Star.
Judging from the number of colonies
developing on the plates (glass plates on
which the bacteria were placed after be-
ing removed from the cracks in the cups
and mugs, from the watery dilutions,
there were undoubtedly many thousands
Of organisms contained within the re-
cesses of the broken china, some cracks
harbering more germs than others, vary
ing according to their magnitude and
the character Of the material contained
therein
The discovery of these germs estab-
fishes beyond a doubt In the mind or
DIR. Stiles that a condition of unneces-
sary filth exists in the lunchrooms in
which these cracked dishes are used. 1t
becomes evident to the layman at once
that cracked dishes should not be used
in lunchrooms, it being practically I'M
possible to clean out the seams, no mat
ter how carefully they are washed.
Regarded as Startling.
The startling fact about The Stars in
yestigati ton is that such dishes were found
in almost all the lunchrooms and restau-
rants in the city.
Among the germs disclosed plainly by
the ARCHAEOLOGICAL examination Of the
cracks was the bacillus coli, which Dr.
Stiles says "unquestionably belongs to the
group of undesirable bacteria, particularly
when associated with foods in any man
ner" 1t is associated with many infiam-
matory conditions in man, such as ap-
pendicitis.
Nearly all the other bacteria found are
indicative of fifth and should be regarded
with suspicion. according to DR.. Stiles.
Method Of Investigating.
The method followed by the bacterol-
gist in the investigation is described by
him as follows:H
I'm order to make cultures from this
material it was necessary to carefully
break open the already existing seams in
each piece of chinaware and remove the
debris from the cracked surface by means
of sterilized. moistened cotton swabs. The
swabs were placed into TASKS containing
sterile water and sufficiently agitated to
remove the entangled organisms. From
the dlutions thus obtained series OF
plain agar plates were prepared and in
cubated for two days at thirty-seven de-
grees centigrade and subsequently kept