Newark post. (Newark, Del.) 1910-1969, 1916-09-13


rect communication in the spread
OF diphtheria-a disease which he
takes as illustrative of the class
under discussion. "It is the same
old story" he concludes,-"the
endless chain of contact, direct or
indirect.
In response to a parents query,
my Mabel was in the same room
with him. Do you suppose she
Will get it? must not the air in
the room be dangerous? the doc
tor replies, mo, the air is not
dangerous, but fingers are.
remember always that dozen
or more communicable diseases
are caused by germs, or bacteria
found in the secretions formed in
the mouths and noses of both sick
and we'll; and that, for the most
part, they would be found no.
where else, except for the improp-
err and dangerous uses to which
we put our fingers, ten valuable
aids to daily existence.
at is quite possible you moist
ened your finger with your tongue
as you turned the page, and unless
you are more than ordinarily
t careful, you will do it again when
: you turn away, disguised, to a
, more pleasing bit of reading. Ger
tainly, depending on your sex, you
e hold in your mouth, hairpins or
s tacks and, at one time or another
during the day, many other arti,
: cles.
f "In childhood especially, the
period Of contagious diseases, dc
e the fingers travel most frequently
h to the mouth and nose, and almos-
}. every article of suitable size TX
r permit of it's being lifted by youth
4, full fingers finds it's way to saliva
n moistened lips and, in the intima
It cies of children's play, to possibl,
" different pairs of lips, during
recess hour. Before he pitches
Is Johnny moistens his fingers to in
S. sure accuracy and because he ha
ID seen the Big Leaguers do it, Will
Billy adds his quota before return
" ing the ball.
Ia Gail day long, in countless way
lg we are busily engaged in thi
traffic in saliva. If disease germ
are present-and all too frequent
ly they are-we pass them on t
l., those with whom we come in cor
h. tact. Not only are our fingers S
frequently responsible for infe'
ton, through the medium of a
~ ticles handled in common, but W
~ go even further, borrowing han'
kerchiefs with the utmost indi
od elimination, tasting each other
w food, or testing the temperatul
' of the baby's milk, cooling it
:, too warm with our breath.
or "Sneezing, coughing and 9TH
violent exploratory efforts exp
~, myriads of tiny drops, laden wi
- germs, from the nose and mout
..l on persons and things about US.
~ countless ways we gather thel
$500 sooner or later, and carry them (
- our fingers or food to our mouth
" A generation ago, it was thong
: that diseases were air-borne, tn
- they travelled from house
. house and even over great d
80 tances by currents of air. A qua
~ antine sign caused pedestrians
ID make hurried detours to the OPP
site side of the street or arou
the block, to avoid the maligna
eff1uvia from the sick-room wi
lille dows. For many years aft
oer asepsis, (the use of clean Dire
in ings, instruments and HAND
made possible the feats of me
. ern surgery by excluding bacte1
from the field of operations,
tissues of the patient, it never
eek Cured to us that the practice
an medicine could also be "clea
ate that the surgeon had no grea
ar ontro lover his operative ca
SER than the general practitioner o.
en- his cases of contagion.
How to Protect
Why, indeed, should we look
the winds for our epidemics, WI
ted through the carelessness OF
everyday acts we take such pa