The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1915-10-15
UBloUITY OF THE H.. 3D.. .
DlPHTHERlA BACILLUS!
Widespread Prevalence OF This Germ
. Among Unsuspeetins Persons. .:.

II has long been known that diph- |
iberia germs are present in the thruats
.nf many perfectly healthy persons and
that many cases Of this disease may
Ice accounted for. only by their infec-
non from such carriers. To what
extent these germs occur among heal
INV persons has been Il point that has
never been definitely determined
some workers claiming that as many
ns one in every twenty persons car
lded these germs and distributed them
more or less ndiscriminately, To de-
| tcrmne this point the y, :, Puble
! Health Service conducted an invesu-
CATION Of the prevalence Of diphtheria
| carriers in the city Of Detroit during
the winter - 1914 This invesuga-
ton stands as one Of the most thor
ough and painstakng researches OF its
| kind
should this report be read by all Of
the inhabitants Of Detroit over 1000
If them would recall the visit Of the
Health Onicer" who examined their
noses aud throats and took cultures
rom both locations.
i In the laboratory Of the officers OF
I the Service examined the Sz5S cul-
alres taken from 1923 persons five
. bacteriolugists examined the 'smcars
| rom AN average 81 Il IS cultures a day
rh, results Of this examination were
that very nearly one per nt-.s2s
| DER cent to be pXAct=ut all the pers
ms examined was found to carry
dIphtheria germs In their throat oi
lose or both
one per cent does not ordinarily
sound large to the average person, bu
hit NY see what u means to the indl'
yIdual IN time OF epidemic prevalence
probably one in every hundred persons
he meets has diphtheria germs in hi
throat and iu all probability on hi
, hands and clothes as well. since II Il
one OF the most common practices II
the world 10 put the hand TO IN
mouth II IL probable that the aNeras
, Individual in contact with a hundred
,r more persons every day and If henc
practically daily exposed To infection
]. with diphtheria Some persons, MANI
!, thaae remaining at home, associat
! win but few, but other members q
the household are not so lsulate'
school children come In close contac
often with more than a hundred oth
crs In day Occasionally one ma
, even see hundred persons on a sin
" ole street car and none viii doubt tina
many more than that number vi
" cough into the air Of a moving pictur
:, theater during an evening.
" To demonstrate further what on
? per cent means, let us see what az
The actual figures, In 1914 the ofiicii
! census OF Detroit was 537.65O. one p'
cent OF this is 1916 II would be din
NJ cult indeed for any one living In Dt
trot To avoid contact with one. tw
:, live or more OF these 1916 dissemina
" tors OF diphtherla germs. Nor is thei
reason to believe that in time OF ep
I dcmic the figures for any other lart
y community are lower in proportion,
These data gathered by the Publ
Health Service as well as data OF u
" same nature obtained by other worl
=, ers demonstrate one OF many reasol
for personal care OF the throat al
~ nose. avoidance OF too intimate col
tact with others. and the necessity
~ early preventive measures in the en-!
oe ~ those suffering from sore throa
and LESSONS suspicious Of diphtheria,