The Washington herald., 1915-12-01
DOCTORS HIT THEORY
! OF Fresh AIR CRANKS
Ventilation Not So Important in Pre-.
venting Disease as Generally Be-
lieved. Says Physicians.

To the air has long been attributed
a subtle potency to incite disease when
| suitable conditions prevail" says The
Journal OF the American Medical Associa-
ton. "one need not go back far In his
tory TO reach the days when 'night-air
and 'sewer-air' we're feared as the bear
ers Of indefinable dangers to health. The
discovery OF the role OF micro-organisms
In the transmission OF disease has large
ly changed this attitude. II Is true that
air from certain localities. such as soils
or sewers. may contain an admixture of
gaseous manifestation monoxid and
dioxid. marsh gas and hydrogen sulphid-
which are not wholesome to the organ
ism. But these admixtures are, In all
except the most unusual circumstances,
SO small In amount as to have little II
any harmful significance for health.
The organic OF solid Impurities Of the
air give more cause for alarm, for they
Include the living bacteria. In sewer-air
the proportion OF HETEROGENEOUS is
usually less than that Of streets and
houses. and they are usually harmless
species. The movement Of air in sewers
Is rather slow. SO that abundant oppor-
tunity Is afforded for the suspended par
ticles. including the living agents, to be-
come deposited on the moist surface The
gaseous components OF the air are of
secondary moment. There Is a growing
conviction. however. that In the majority
or cases OF so-called 'air-borne' disease
II is not the participate constituents OF
the atmosphere that are directly respon-
sible for the Transmission of disease.
Suspended particles. including bacteria.
may. OF course. be sprayed about by the
acts OF coughing and sneezIng and thus
aid in the dissemination OF diseases. mar
ticularly those of the respiratory tract
But as a rule It appears that the dis
eases conveyed through the air are car
ried through the agency OF insects acting
as vectors or as hosts for the infectIye
parasites. In many hospitals. therefore.
the 'air-borne' diseases are now treated
side by side In the same ward without
rear OF greater transmission than IL they
were Isolated in separate wards. Atten-
non Is centered on the possibility Of the
carrier agency. animate or inanImate
rather than on the atmosphere as such
As a recent speaker expressed a phase of
It, the problem is one OF wire screens
more than ventilation. II il. however
or interest to learn something regarding
the prevalence of bacteria in the air OF
different regions.
"A recent systematic study by the New
York State Commission on Ventilation
showed clearly that the air OF occupied
spaces such as factories. schools and Of
noes contains more bacteria than that OF
open spaces in the city or country. It is
Significant that the increase in strepto-
cocci manifests itself promptly in the oc-
cupled spaces. Whereas in country or
CITY air there are rarely more than ten
OF this group Of micro-organisms per hun
dred cubic feet OF air. the number may
rise 10 more than forty in factories.
There is rapidly growing tendency. sun
ported BY much convincing evidence. TO
teach that ventila ton has nothing what
ever to do with either the Transmission OF
the so-called 'air-borne' diseases or the
lessening Of their transmission"