Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-08-10
SOURCE OF PERIL
Millions of Deadly Germs Breed
in Cracked Chinaware,
Science Tells Us.
TwENrY-IHREe KINDS FOUND
Or. II. w. Wiley Experiments on
Dishes Taken from Quick Lunch
Rooms and Hotels.

To those who leave their offices each
noon to snatch a hasty lunch the Unit
ed States government has a word of
advice to offer. 1t is this: Whenever
a restaurateur offers you a cracked
mug and Clipped, seamy plate on
which food is served. fee it as you
would the pestilence. In the recesses
Of those cracks Turk thousands of bac-
terra, and they draw no distinction
between the millionaire employer and
his ten dollar a week stenographer.
The bureau of chemistry. at the
head OF which is DR.. Harvey w. Wi
ley, has recently concluded expert
ments on cracked china utensils taken
from the lunch rooms of Washington
The conditions they find to exist in the
restaurants at Washington are dupli-
cated-in every big city. In New York
and Chicago where trade at quick
lunch establishments is much greater.
far larger population of germs is
believed to have taken up it's abode in
the cracks and crevices of the table
service.
The examination of the chinaware
by the government came about as
result Of a crusade being waged
against unhealthful kitchens and serv-
ing rooms in the District of Columbia,
says a Washington special dispatch to
the New York Times. With the ap-
prevail of Secretary Wilson and DR.
Wiley the government chemists were
turned loose on the trail They dis
covered millions of germs in the
cracks.
DR.. George W. Stiles. ARCHAEOLOGICAL
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 twenty-three
distinct species of organisms lurking
In the cracks and seams. In the final
test 1t was found that these organisms
ranged in number from 1856 to 1850
600 to every square inch.
Nearly al of thewbacteria belonged
to the family of bacillus coli, which
DR.. Stiles says enthusiastically be-
longs to the group of undesirable bac-
terra, particularly when associated
with foods in any manner"
The bacillus coli is blamed as the
cause of many infiammatory diseases
principal among which is appendicitis.
Many of the other bacilli found in the
cracked chinaware are due to unclean
conditions. These may not be notice
nj H. l.;
rooms may be clean and spotless, but
the impossibility of cleansing the uten-
sis thoroughly when they are cracked
leaves the bacf1li to Increase and null
tiply.
Danger for All.
The presence Of The breeders of dis
o. ease is just as nu.ll menace to the
gin who has LETT h5r typewriter to
snatch a substantial meal of cocoa
ard chocolate eciairs rs it is to the
man with the droeping mustache who
ragaleS himself epch noon on coffee
aus sinkers'' The baciIi are no re-
specters Of persons. DR. Stiles in dis
cussing the result of his tests says:
This is question which must
necessarily appeal to every responsible
individual who seriously considers the
matter Of eating clean and wholesome
food. When we consider the great
number and variety of organisms stud
led In relation to these cracked mugs
the question of household sanitation
becomes more imperative than ever.
and study of the sanitary conditions
in private and public life would in
many instances furnish startling re-
suits.
Mary of Our shotels. public restau-