The Evening standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1910-1913, 1910-12-28
COMMON SENSE ON THE MIcRoBe
QUESTION.

A good many people Will have read
the remarks lately made on the mi
crobe question by Dr. Alvah II. Doty,
health officer OF the port OF New
York, with a sense OF lively satlsfac-
tion and some feeling of relief. Their
tenor was that the malehcient influ-
ence and activity OF the omnipresent
microbe as an agent for the destruc-
ton OF health and life had been alb
surdly exaggerated and that II people
would think less and worry less upon
this subject It would be great deal
better for them.
DR., Doty expressed the opinion. and
IL Is an opinion in which many VIII
agree with him. that a large part OF
the agitation over microbes which has
gone on within the past few years Is
to the last degree irrational and abb
surd. People have gone mlcrobe
crazy They have read without clear
ly understanding the medical disser-
tations about the extent TO which
diseases OF all kinds are occasloned
by these mlcroscopical organisms
which get into our systems and be-
come pernlciously active there. and
many Of them live under a constant
>
be invaded by these invisible enc
mics at some time when they are mo-
mentarily OFF their guird
And the trouble is that IL Is so diff
flcult that 1t is virtually impossible
TO maintain a sufficiently yigilant and
effective outlook for these innumer-
able and omnIpresent invaders of the
human frame. There are microbes
everywhere Nothing that we touch,
taste or handle is immune from their
presence, so We are told, and there is
never any telling how soon or at what
moment any one of us may fall vic
tim TO their destructive operations
That is the prevalent idea for which
the little knowledge declared by Alex
ander Pope to be a dangerous thing
must be held responsible, and 1t Is
the gratifying feature of DR.. Doty's de-
liverance that il tends to dissipate
what has become sort OF national
obsession. He says that there is a
whole lot of humbug about this mi.
crobe business and that the people
who lie awake nights shiyering lest
microbe should catch them are very
foolish. How often have we been told
that there was danger In handling
dirty hank note because so many bill.
lions of deleterlous germs are likely
to be distributed over its surface
Probably not many have been deter
red by this warning from handling
all the bank notes that came their
way. and yet 1t is satisfactory to be
assured that they may be handled,
microbes and all, without the slight
est risk.
1t Is the same with other things
which have i'm a like manner been
placed under the ban. The chances are
that they are quite innocuous and
that the danger which they are sup
posed TO present is wholly imaginary,
and 1t may be set down as a principle
OF universal application that to be
solicitouS about keeping ones health.
to be so anXiously apprehensive OF the
causes which threaten II. Is a serious
mistake This Is one of the respects
in which Christian Science has been
beneficial and one of the secrets of
the amazing success which has attend
cd Its propaganda Those who have
accepted and are faithful TO its doc
trines are not constantly thinking
about their bodily condition and fear
ing that they may fall sick. They
have full faith that their good health
Will continue and instead OF worrying
about eyentualities entirely beyond
their power TO control they take its
as a matter of course.
Our forefathers. knowing nothing
about microbes, took no precautions
against them, yet they enjoyed as
good health as we do and lived as
long Let us set aside hysteria and
be guided by the promptines of plain.
ordinary common sense.-Philadelph
Inouirer