Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-04-23
The Health of the Community.

buildings are cheap storeroomS, re-
modelled for the purpose, often, without
adequate provision for ventilation. 1t
is estimated that the air in one OF these
theaters will pass thru the lungs Of
the audience in from six to eight min
utes. They therefore constitute, as the
Chicago Health Bulletin remarks. one
of the health problems called into ex-
istence by modern customs and condi-
tons. In cities all over the country.
the problem Is practically the same,
involving the role Of contact or close
association in the spread Of colds" and
the various infectious diseases. 1t is
matter Of observation that the Incl
dence Of the various infective diseases
Of childhood Immediately increases on
the opening Of the schools In the fall
on account Of the increased oppor-
tunity for contact between infected and
nom infected children. 1t may there
fore be reasonably assumed that the
close contact in the moving-pic
theater rs also factor in the distribu-
ton Of infectious diseases. Since 1t is
not easy to exclude those who have
diseases or who come from homes
where disease exists, ell-considered
regulations as to ventilation and SAM
tation should be enforced for the pro-
lection of the public.
Wood Aieohol-Poison.
In spite of numerous warnings much
ignorance is still displayed regarding
the danger of methyl or wood alcohol.
This lack Of knowledge is shown in
some quarters in which it ought to be
least expected. For example, the New
York board of health few months ago
passed the following ordinances: NO
preparation or mixture containing
methyl alcohol intended for external
use by man. or so used, shall, when
offered for sale, sold or used, be es-
pecially labeled, as follows: This
preparation contains methyl (wood)
ALCOHOL. II the foregoing means any
thing II permits virulent poison IT,
be sold to the ignorant public without
a specific notice of its toxic quality.
The sanitary code of New York.
adopted in January, 1912, includes the
following section: mo person or cor
poration shall offer for sale any food
or drink which contains methyl alco-
hol Commonly known as wood alco-
hoD, or any preparation or mixture OF
any kind whatever containing the
same intended either for internal or
external use by man; nor shall methyi
or wood olcohol or any preparation or
mixture containing the same be used
on or applied to the person or bod"
of another This ordinance was GER
tainly based on what we definitely
know of the poisonous characters OF
wood alcohol, Columbian Spirits. etc.
AS to the danger Of this product. at
tention has already been called to the
death of seventy-one municipal ioug-
ers in a Berlin asylum from drinking
cheap schnapps made with what cor
responds in America to Columbian
Spirits. the so-called "deoderized' wood
alcohol. Later in another German
town. seven deaths and the usual ac-
commandment of blindness followed
the ingestion OF a cheap drink COM
pounded from 'deodorized' wood al
cohol sold by local druggist under the
trade name of ''Spiritogen"- sort
of Teutonic Columbian Spirits. The
crime having been committed in Gel
senkirchen instead Of New York %
the culprit was hailed into court at
once. Co the trial last seven days. at
the END OF which 60 The poisoner was
sentenced to two years imprisonment,
and ca the sentence was carried into
effect.
For the safety Of our citizens. says
the Journal OF the American Medical
Association the sale OF every form OF
"deodorized" methyl alcohol should De
prohibited Altho many states and
municipalities have made legal pro-
visions for the former contingency
these laws are frequently dead letters.
Denatured alcohol answers every leglt-
innate purpose OF Columbian Spirits,
and Is even cheaper than that toxic
agent.