The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1908-08-07

schoolroom were similar to those ol
No. /. Cup No. 4 which had been ap
parently in use for several months
without being washed, was secured
from a high school. II was lined in.
side with thin brownish deposit
This was washed on with ten cubic
centimeters of sterile water and q
sterile swab, and the washings were
then placed in conical tube which
was put into centrifuge and rotated
rapidly until all the solid matter set
tied to the bottom. BY spreading
this sediment over half-square inch
of each of 90 slides and staining 1t,
the characteristic features were cas-
i lily made out under the microscope.
Particles of mud, thousands OF
pieces of skin from the mouth, and
millions of bacteria constituted the
mass. To determine whether any
of these germs belonged to the dis
ease-producing group, ten of the
slides were treated with the stain
and acid serving to show the charac-
teristics of bacillus tuberculosis. On
one of these slides was clearly shown
a clump of scores of germs correspon-
ding in all details to those of tuber-
culosis. As occasionally other germs
are met with having the same stain
ing qualities and microscopic appear
ance as those Of tuberculosis, ! pro-
cured another cup from the same
school to apply the final test for de-
tecting those relentless enemies
which pray upon human flesh and
add daily to the city of the dead in
our own land victims to the number
of 400.
The washings from this cup were
sedimented in the centrifuge tube.
One-third of the sediment was inject
ed under the skin of healthy guinea
pig, and another third was used in
inoculating a second guinea pig. The
first animal died 40 hours after re-
ceiving the injection. A microscopic
examination of the blood in the heart
revealed the presence of numerous
pneumonia germs which when plant
ed on blood serum and agar kept in
an incubator at body temperature for
two days, developed the Characters
tic growth of Fraenkel's pneumoco-
Gus. This experiment gave undoubt-
ed evidence that the germs of pneu-
monia had been present in sufficient
numbers in the cup to cause blood
poisoning or septicemic pneumonia
in the animal.
The second guinea pig injected
with the cup sediment was killed five
weeks later The autopsy revealed
numerous tubercular foci in the liv-
er and several much enlarged tuber-
cular lymph glands. Microscopic ex-
animation of the diseased tissues
proved the presence of the true ba
cillus tuberculosis. BY careful in
quiry it was learned that several pu-
pits in the school from which the tu-
bercle-bearing cups were secured,
were then sufferers from tuberculo-
sis. In the light of recent discover
les showing that tuberculosis is not
usually acquired by inhaling the
germs but by receiving them with
food or by mouth contact with OBJ
jects soiled with tubercular deposits,
does it not seem probable that the
drinking cup may very often serve
as the transmitter of the white
plague? Doctor Anders Of Philadel-
phia by means of guinea pig inoc-
culations demonstrated the presence
of tubercle bacilli in two out of five
specimens from the dregs of common
communion cups.
In order to make further study
of the germs, third portion of the
sediment from cup No. 5 was planted
in culture media serving to isolate
the various kinds of bacteria so that
the characters of each might be OBJ
served. Ten different species were
thus separated and examined. Strep-
tococci apparently the same as those
occurring in sore throat and tonsi-
litis were present, as was also the
common pus germ staphylococcus
aureus. Doctor Anders has reported
the discovery on the communion cups
from Philadelphia church, Of num-
erous pus germs as we'll as pus cells.
The microscopical examination of
cups numbers 6 and secured from a
railroad station and clubhouse
showed numerous cells from the lips
and thousands of bacteria present In
the upper portion of the vessels, al
though they appeared quite clean to
the naked eye. Cup No. 8, taken
from railway station, was the only
vessel examined that could be called
reasonably clean. Its surface car
ried only two or three human cells
to the square inch and upon the same
area was less than 500 bacteria.
A third source of evidence con-
demning the public cup is found in
the report of Doctor Forbes of Ro-
chester, who refers to an epidemic of
diptheria in his city which occurred
among twenty-four persons and was
traced Enthusiastically to common
drinking cup which all the sick had
used. Tonsilitis and sore throat are
known to affect larger number of
pupils in schools where common |
drinking cup Is used than in those |
schools where the individual cup Is
required, or. the sanitary drinking |
fountain has been installed
The mortality statistics of the CEN
sus bureau show that diptheria,
meningitis, bronchitis, tuberculosis,
pneumonia, and grip, all of which are |
likely to he acquired by the use of |
the common cup, are responsible for
nearly 100000 deaths annually In |
the United States. This fact indicates
that the germs of these diseases pro-
duce in a single year more than a |