The San Francisco call., 1910-06-16


number of US carry about some germ
effect. Over so per cent of the autop-
sizes held show that at some time or
other the person had tuberculosis. OF
course they all don't die of it, but this
gives an index to the great number of
US who carry bacteria of diseases and
do not know it.
$4,000 BACTERIA
The strap that 1 investigated was a
fine specimen. 1t was an ordinary
streetcar strap like the hundreds in
use daily here in the city. I took only
a very small piece of it-one-sixth of
a grain in weight-and on this barely
visible section there were $4,000 bac-
terra This formed the basis of our
investigation. and the result clearly
demonstrated the filth that was clus-
tered there.
The inoculated guinea pigs died of
blood poisoning. It is not possible to
tell exactly what form, because we did
not have the time. facilities or the
means TO carry on the experiment to
that extent OF the Is inoculated those
that died were killed by the poisonous
germs that we take by the handful
every day in the cars
CARRIERS OF DISEASE
TT is easy to understand how the
straps come TO be SO infected with the
bacteria. In hot weather people per-
spire and in gripping the straps soil
them. Some of these people are
healthy Some Of them are far from
healthy The result is that the strap
picks up the disease germs from the
hand of the diseased person. Then
some one takes hold Of the strap, gets
the germs on the fingers. scratches a
cut or bruise or puts his fingers in
his mouth and-wel1, there's another
case of blood poisoning, fever or some
thing or other. People say they don't
know where they contracted the dis
ease. Well. here's the car strap. On
the one we experimental with, weigh
ing but a few ounces, there must have
been more than S50,1oo, 600 germs.
i -
and the number of germs on all the
straps. The straps snould be taken
out of the cars, cleaned and put back
at regular intervals"
The media or field in which the
various bacilli were developed in the
laboratory was bouiIlon solution in
agar-agar. This was placed in long
incubation or test tubes and the tiny
colony of germs allowed to multiply
at the rate of 100000 an hour. In
one tube a species of mold developed,
while in the others the germs de-
veloped in rapid succession. Gradu-
ally the chains OF cocci or clumps
worked out and these were removed
from the tubes and smeared on small
glass plates. A weak solution of car
bol-fuchsin was dripped over the smear
and a purple field developed around
the germs. The specimen was then
placed under the microscope and the
nature, class and virulence of the ba-
cilli determined.
ALIVE TO DANGER
The members of the board of health
have agreed to ask the supervisors to
draw an ordinance regulating the use
of straps in the streetcars. The ply
sicians of the city have long been
and have finally induced the health
board TO express itself in the matter
ANY number of throat complaints have
been repeatedly traced to the innocent
appearing strap and the habit of
placing a finger into the mouth. While
the danger is present on all the lines
of the city the greatest danger is on
those car lines going through the more
thickly populated districts. The Mis-
sion street lines, Kearny street and
Market street lines perhaps afford the
greatest opportunity for infection,
while shorter or somewhat less used
lines would not present the same con-
ditions.
Perhaps the greatest danger of in
lection from the car strap is presented
in small cut or pimple. Hundreds
Of cases Of blood poisoning have been
reported in which the original point of
irritation has been q scratch. In the
case Of any germ deposit on the hand
that is brought in contact with the
face the consequence is almost inevi-
table. Erysipelas which is an acute
spreading Inflammation of the skin and
subcutaneous tissue. can be contracted
from the air without coming directly
in contact with person suffering with
the disease. With a germ deposit of
this on the hand, especially in warm
weather, escape from infection would
be unusual
WHERE DEATH Turks
The style of strap used in the cars
is one which affords an inviting field
for germ incubation. 1t is composed
of two pieces of leather stitched to-
gether. In the center OF the strap, be-
tween the two pieces of leather which
lap at the ends. is strip of coarse
burlap as a filing. In the case OF the
specimen examined by the bacteriolo-
gist the stitching had burst or worn
and the filing had been stained as
well as the leather. with the hand