The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-08-22
DISEASE IN CRACKED DISHES.

To those who leave their Offices
each noon to snatch a hasty lunch,
the government has a word of ad-
vice to offer. 1t is this: Whenever
a restaurateur offers you a cracked
mug and Clipped seamy plate on
which food Is served. flee Il as you
would the pestilence. In the recesses
of those cracks lurk thousands OF
bacteria, and they draw no dstinc-
tion between the millionaire employ
er and his $40 a week stenographer.
The bureau of chemistry, at the
head of which is DR.. Harvey w. WI
ley, has just concluded experiments
on cracked china utensils taken from
the lunch rooms of Washington. The
conditions they find 10 exist in the
restaurants here are duplicated In
every big city.
The examination OF the chlnaware
by the government came about as a
result of crusade being waged
against unhealthful kitchens and
serving rooms in the District of Co
mmbla With the approval of S0cre-
Wilson and DR.. Wiley. the govern
ment chemists were turned loose on
the trail. They discovered millions
of germs In the cracks.
DR.. George w. Stiles, bacteriologl-
cal chemist OF the department, had
charge of the tests Several dozen
cracked mugs, plates, and saucers
taken at random from the counters
of lunch rooms and from the cafes
Of hotels were examined. The result
was that Dr. Stiles discovered % dis
tinct species of organisms lurking In
the cracks and seams. In the final
test 1t was found that these organ
isms ranged in number from 4S6 to
l4,580,0OO to every square inch
Nearly all of the bacteria belonged
TO the family of bacillus coli, which
DIR. Stiles says "unquestionably be-
long to the group Of undesirable hac-
terial particularly when associated
with foods in any manner, and OF
many inflammatory diseases, prln-
clpal among which is appendicitis"
Many of the other bacilli found In
the cracked china ware are due to
unclean conditions These may not
be noticeable, and the kitchens of the
lunch rooms may be clean and spot
less, but the impossibility OF cleans
ing the utensils thoroughly when
they are cracked leaves the bacilll to
increase and multiply.
The presence Of the breeders of
disease is just as much a menace to
the girl who has left her typewriter
to snatch substantial meal of CO.
Goa and chocolate eclairs as 1t is to
the man with the dropping mustache
who regales himself each noon on
coffee and sinkers." The bacilli
are no respector of persons. DR..
Stiles says:
Many of our hotels, public restau-
rants and cafes are particular to see
that splendid serving rooms are pro.
yided and elaborately furnished,
which from exterior appearances
seem to be all that could be desired
for the welfare and comfort of their
guests, but let one go behind the
scenes in many places and note the
changed conditions. The picture
may be entirely different from that
expected.
1T seems highly desirable to elm
mate the use of cracked dishes for
the reception of food materials, and
to make an appeal for more care
ful observance of the known hygieniC
measures to protect our food from
unnecessary and undesirable con.
tamination."
DR.. Wiley is chagrined that the
tests were not made sooner. If they
had been he believes something
could have been done to drive the
lurking foe of health from the lunch
rooms Of the cities.