Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1916-03-09
Hon. the
Germs Fight
By woods HUrCHINsoN. strp.
PART H.

FAM H.
The moro careful we study the various
things that may go wrong with US. and
the clearer view we get OF the machins-
tons Of that invisible government which
often wrecks the welfare OF our body
polite the more dark the clouds Of
suspicion gather around the heads Of one
particular group OF our most intimate
bug enemies known az the streptococcus.
Gan &c" pronounced hard like "k'O
This name is little short Of a calamity.
and its application 20 this interestins
criminal family greatly to he deplored,
but there are some people It is neees-
sary to know by their right names. and
a. this gentleman has no other. II is
/ really worth while trying to memorize It,
/ It isn't half as bad as PrzemysI. or
Ghcveu or even salonik or Kut-el
/ Armana, and much more important when
/ known.
Tho name is really quite simple IN
ORIGIN. merely Greek for "chain-berry'
Of "chaln-bug. and u you will associate
him with the place where he really be
longs-the chain-gang-it will fit him
perhaps as well as any other. This
"chain-buR" or streptococcus, has as
many aliases as a successful burglar.
His second name IA pyoRenca, which
means pus-maker. or festerer, and hts
frequency and Righteousness may be
judged from the fact that he and \
cousin OF his (stsphyiocooous) are the
sole and entire cause OF all the differ
ent suppuratinRs and festerinEs and
'nnatterations" OF cuts and wounds and
scratches all over the body. both inside
and out Also OF pimpleS eczema and
crysipelas and all boiis and ''bcalinss'
and abscesses. from the roots Of the teeth
to the knee Joint. and from the tonsiis
TO the pertioncum and the coverings Of
the brain.
This we have known since the dawn Of
bacteriology and IL certainly enough 70
brand him as an enemy OF the race But
worse Is in store. and later researches
have shown that this same coocuA or
chain-gang bug more or less thinly dis
guised, Is concerned in, II not the prin-
clpal offender. in rheumatism. in men
nights, or brain fever. where he II called
the menlngococcus. In appendicitis, in
ulcer OF the stomach or intestines, and
last but by no means least. in pneumonia
as his name pncumococcus implies.
or course he In a very simple little
dot-shaped bug. and many different kinds
may take his shape under the mircro
scope and yet he really no relation TO him
: at all But evidence, Is steady Rccumu-
! latinR to the contrary and we are Eradu-
l ally being driven toward the conclusion
either that there is only one steptococcu'
? or chain-bug. or one great central grouI
r which IL the ancestor OF all the others
}. At all events Il IL becoming distinctl,
probable that given a group OF thes'
[ "streptococcuses" in the nose and throa
= they can. under appropriate stimulus o
coaching. turn themselves into the pneu
o mococcus and invade tho lung. into tn
8 coccus of rheumatism and riddle tn
8 valves OF the heart. into the intestine
I coccus and produce a gastric ulcer or al
5 appendicitis or into the meningococcu
and produce meningitis or brain-fever.
n There can be no question that they ar
n bad Medicine" In every sense Of tn
o term. and. without stopping TO classif
). them. should be made war upon whereve
y found.
Il The practical point Is that n Ne kee
ID our tonsils clean from pus pockets. on
! gums free from abscesses around tn
r roots OF our teeth and our noses FIRE
d from chronic catarrhal discharges W
shall have no mines or bombs about on
y body 10 be exploded by the spark OF tn
s influenza bacillus or the germs OF com
Is mon cold into pneumonia, rheumatism
neuritis or meningitis.