The sun., 1916-09-18

rate and death rate Of the children
Of employees Of public libraries we
may be pnrdoned for wishing that he
had presented the essential facts with
less scientific elaboration.
It Is a matter Of common knowl-
edge that books and papers which are
much read In public libraries become
In many instances excessively dirty.
The question whether the germs Of
disease compose this layer Of dirt Is
n Vital n It seems certain thnt
many germs. those Of tuberculosis
especially, do live and thrive on
books, and that they are conveyed to
the pages by the saliva Of readers by
coughing uron the leaves and through
the habit which possesses some people
Of wetting their fingers in order to
turn over the pages quickly.
NJ. PELLEriER Eliminates this view
In many ways. He relates the his
tory Of n cOnsumptive in the great
library Of Paris. This man worked IN
II small room Mt making catalogues
and card indexes. and ultimately died
of tuberculosis. A meteorological ex.
animation Of the books and catalogues
showed enormous numbers Of the
bacilli Of the disease. In many
cases. ne believes. the readers Of these
books were affected. for two men who
subsequently worked in this room he
came consumptlve and died. Slmi.
larry, he asserts, the public, which
carries every species Of germ. brings
them to the library on the books.
Professor FERRANISr goes over the
whole ground in the most careful
manner. lie dwells on the grent num-
her of libraries in the United States.
the multitude Of readers. the benefits
If cleaning and Of ventIla-
tion. Italy Is backward In these re.
spects. and his Indictment Is drawn
chiefly against the libraries Of his
own country. Those who have visited
Italinn libraries will quite agree. IT
Is satisfactory to find that our II.
braries are healthier. They are
cleaner and better supplied with light
and mir. He recommends the disin.
fectlOn and busting Of books ns prac-
tiscd IN the library at Berlin. 1t
would he interesting to know what he
would think of our Public Library in
New York. certainly II fine example
of modern methods of ventilation and
cleanliness. In spite Of the crowds
that visit It.. Conditions Of hygiene
in America are sound and they are
. constantly improving.
Nevertheless there Is n real dan
ger If spreading disease by books.
and any work which assesses this
danger with even II rough approach
to accuracy Is welcome. The danger
Is probably slight or II would have
attracted the attention Of our health
authorities. n estimating the peril
I, is well tn remember that many Of
the most dangerous germs do not live
In fresh air: dirt aud dust. which
protect them from the oxygen Of the
atmosphere. are their natural habitat.
II is doubtless n practical piece Of
advice to warn the public against the
objectionable habit of licking books
and handling them with dirty fingers,
Though the germs Of cpidemics nre
seldom spread in this way. diseases
like consumption, pneumonia. intlu-
enza and anthrax may be- thus con.
vpyrd. Professor FiRRANINI adiucp-
plenty of evidence Ia prove this mode
If infection. On the other hand. ven
tilntlon. ,usinfection and cleanliness
minimize these dangers. II is a great
deal gained II public opinion is con.
WINGED that no book should he pol.
luteI. II books are n danger 10 health
il is because their readers refuse Ia
take the trouble to make themselves
as clean as they should he.