The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1911-06-19
THAT PUBLIC
DRINKING CUP
IS GRuEsoMELY PICTURED AS
"THE CUP or DEATH"-lLLINols
HAS PASSED A LAW ABOLISH
ING THE USE OF THE PUBLIC
DRINKING CUP.

Journal of American Medical Asso-
citation: The cup of death" is rather
guesomely pictured in the cup-cam-
paigner as skull. with its top sawed
off las in autopsies), a handle
fashioned to the occiput a chain at
tached to the handle, the other end be-
Ing fastened to a drinking fountain.
A campaign against the public cup is
now being conducted throughout the
union. Several states have already
taken action, Kansas being the first
to abolish the common drinking cup;
Michigan, Wisconsin, Mississippi New
Jersey, New York, however, have fallen
in line. Pennsylvania, through the
secretary of her state board of health
warns her people that the cup used
in common in public places must i'm
evitably be the constant medium Of
communication Of diseases such as
tuberculosis, diphtheria and other in
fections." In Illinois 1t is declared
that the public drinking cup is as
antiquated as the duckingstool and the
inquisition people never think of eating
from public plates or wearing public
clothes or smoking public cigars"
Illinois has just passed bill abolish
ing the use of the public drinking cup.
Chicago. through its health depart
ment, supported by the newspapers,
has waged an active campaign against
it. The city PSYCHOLOGISTS have coll
lected drinking cups from various
school buildings, hotels, railway sta
tions and stores in the city of Chi
cago and have made microscopic ex-
aminations and bacterial cultures from
these cups. The most frequent varie-
ties Of germs found are various pus
germs, also, specimens Of pneumonia
and diphtheria bacilli have been found.
Guinea pigs have been inoculated with
these cultures and the results Of these
tests, according to the city basteriolo-
gists. prove the deadly nature of these
bacteria. All the pigs inoculated with
the bacteria Of the pus infections de-
veloped fatal Assesses. The tests with
the diphtheria culture were also posi-
tive, as proved by the occurrence of
the disease.
In Connecticut Gas also in other
states) private banking houses, hotel
managers, department stores and other
corporations are cooperating with the
health authorities for the protection
of their employees and their patrons
and for the installation Of the bubbling
drinking fountain in railway trains and
stations, in parks and other public
places. Many cities are moving in the
same direction. New York city, after
Get. /, will make Illegal the use of the
public drinking cup in any public In
stitution, hotel, theatre, factory, hall.
cob
already some Of the public schools of
New York city have been equipped
with jet apparatus, so arranged that
the child's lips do not touch any part
Of the machinery.
A large number of railroads have
adopted a paper cup, supplied to the
thirsty on putting a penny in the slot,
which may be used for the entire trip.
In trains. of all places, is this a neces-
sary measure, both for disease pro-
phylaxis and for elementary decency.
Again, in bar rooms, glasses, after be-
ing used, often receive no more at
tention than a dip in cold water and
a perfunctory wipe with a towel that
has already seen considerable service.
At soda water fountains also, "a
lick and promise" by way of apology
for washing, are much in evidence.
Such glasses may look clean, but often
the invisible pathogenic bacteria re-
main to enter any abrasion of the lips,
or possibly to penetrate an intact mu-
cous membrane.
Elimination of this means of spread
ing disease, especially those most I'M
fortunate cases Of lues innocentium.
should receive support, and might wen
be extended to cover a number of
other public uncleanliness.