Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-10-09
Is It Foolish to Try to Dodge the
Deadly Microbes?

America has become intensely hy-'
gicniC. Time was when Englishmen
claimed pre-eminence for the frequen-
ey with which they used the bath, and
for the low temperature Of the water.
Now the Americans tell stories among
Themselves of the scarcity of baths at
English hotels, and even go the length
&C referring to the Englishman's weekly
tub
The American desire for separate
bathroom is only one symptom of a
widespread distrust of each others all
ments. Infection and conta gion are SO
much feared that regulations are be-
ing made and enforced all over the
States far tie protection of the healthy
citizcn against the unhealthy.
On the railway ears it is now illegal
to provide common drinking cup for
the Hsc of al Corners. Each passenger
in air ordinary car must provide his
own drinking cup. while on the Pull
man cars the Colored porter supplies
each passenger WHO applies for it with
i paper drinking cup. This consists
of a flat paper bag which is carefully
enclosed in q transparent tissue paper
envelope, so that there can be no con-
tamina ton by the porter's fingers.
Ia towns lad cities the danger Of
condemnation from ones fellows is
avoided by having the drinking foun-
taius SO arranged that they spout
gently upwards. The drnker has only
, to bend over and suck up the flowing
water. II is true that where wafer is
SOM what scarce the town authorities
cannot afford to have it flowing all the
time 4 tap is accordingly provided.
and sometimes it is difficult for the in
! exnert drinker to avoid squirting water
| w his nCstrls and all over his face.
, Sat, after all, the application of water
to tie faco IS itself hYgienic.
! Perhaps one Of the main causes of
/ The increasing prominence given to hy
gicne is The conspicuous success that
| has marked the Americans efforts to
clean up cuba ard other places into
which they have been more or less UNI
Willingly lured. Their brilliant success
in the foreign field has without doubt
epcoura ged the Americans in their per
sistent attempts To save themselves
[ from eontaminating each other
| The world is fun of honest admira
ton % how the Americans have fought
! yellow fever and other disagreeabie
! things, but one wonders whether the
lesson cf thisssuccess is to establish a
sort OF isolation in communion.
! Can We escape from each other? Are
we taking the best means 10 escape
It seems a little comical to take all
those elaborate precautions about sep
arate drinking cups. and yet to allow
the coiored porter to handle the ice
hat is to be put into the tank.
! There is. however, another possible
line of advance. Instead of dealing
i,wi.h the drink we may Zeal with the
drinke.. We may defy the mierobe
, either by Guiding him or by fighting
him. We may use our separate cups
ana thus prevent the microbe from en-
tlr.ng The system, or we may so forti-
fy TIE system of it's microscopic foes
II has been found by experiments
performed with the consent Of the sub
jects concerEed) on United States sold
iers that the human system can be IN
oculated against typhoid fever, and
that persons thus inoculated can drink
contaminated water without any fear
of evil consequences.
Already men about to set out an en-
eineering or ether expeditions into
lands where the water supply is under
suspicion are having themselves inocu-
lated, and are prepared to take the
risks of drinking whatever water pre-
sents itself The incubation is said to
remain effective for seven years.
1 A still more striking example of