The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1917-06-20
PLANTS, NOT BUGS
KNOWN BY SIGHT 200 YEARS
JUST GETTING ACQUAINTED
DESTRUCTIVE AND USEFUL.

DR.. Mortimer HeTzberg, of Nermil-
lion, speaking last night in the audi
forum of the high school under the
auspices of the Civic and Child's
Welfare league, informed a small
audience that germs are not bugs,
with horns, hooks. stings and eyes
like fried eggs, but are plants. He
further asserted that without germs,
or bacteria, as they are now called by
those who know enough, we could
not live. nor would it be safe to die.
A program of music and recitation
was rendered before and after the
principal attraction. Prof. l.. G. Ath-
erton made a short address before
the speaker was introduced. calling
for n better appreciation Of what a
/ study of bacteria has to do with our
everyday life. He stated that this
state appropriates IA cents a year
for each individual for study of this
important feature.
Germs were first discovered by a
Dutch weaver the speaker said. To
examine the fineness and quality of
their weave, il was the usage of the
weaver to have strong lenses. Many
made these glasses themselves and
became expert at il. In 1868 he eX-
examined mucus from his own mouth
and was surprised to find in it living
organisms. He was not sure of the
reality at first, but later was con
/ firmod i'm his belief. and wrote a let
ter to a world known medical society
describing it. Following this there
were zoe years of speculation as to
the meaning of bacillus. A theory
was advanced later i'm the 10th cen
fury that germs caused disease, and
finally proven.
Belief i'm spontaneous generation
of germs and other things was shown
to be a fallacy. The boyish credence
of the efficacy of making a snake OF
a horsehair in the rainwater barrel
was cited. A recipe for spontaneous
generation Of mice was also given
with "a guarantee. The doctor assert
ed that no disease can he generated
spontaneously. but must come from
some material source. But this doe
Urine was mighty hazy up to 1865,
when Pasteur made his discoveries.
Curiously. Pasteur, whose name is
more commonly connected With tn"
sterilization of milk, was studying
the cause for the sourine and spoil
ing of wine when he found that heat
would destroy many of the injurious
and destructive germs. The method
was extended from the treatment Of
wine to that of other foods and hey
erages. He also discovered a treat
ment or antitoxin for the partial cura
$685. .-...f:,, Sow ahfalnp qhn1aFa
rabies and anthrax.
Robert Koch. a poor country town
doctor, made experiments that reVo-
I~lutionized disease theories. lie took
his experiments to Vienna, whore he
land his theories or discoveries
were studied. 1t was he who made
the important discoveries in treat
ment of tuberculosis and anthrax. or
lockiaw. and made the mechanical
separation Of different kinds Of
germs possible.
1t used to be considered that a
wound should have some pus form in
it. A small amount was termed
"laudable pus." Too much was "eX-
Icessfve pus." Now a surgeon who al
lows any at all from an operation is
anything but 'laudable." None is
allowed. 1t simply isn't done any
more.
The doctor says that modern bae-
teriology dates from 1881. IT was
found that il was a plant life. The
individual was measured and he calls
them tremendously small" 10000
100000 weighing about Is grains.
That is for the larger one or kinds.
OF their reproduction it is said
that they multiply by dividing.
When one feels that he is large
enough he just splits into two. This
may be done under favorable condi-
tions in from 20 to 60 minute pc
riods. Some figures furnished show
that if this is done hourly for As
hours the product would be 281 600. =
600. 900 individual germs, and in 72
hours of this reproduction would
weigh $4,000, 600 pounds.
Under favorable conditions some
germs go into a condition of hiber-
nation. called "spore." and when in
this condition are very hard to kill
They retain life in all temperatures
from extreme freezing cold to boil
ing neat in some instances. Anthrax
spore was not killed after boiling 1G
hours. Some thrive in air and some
do not. Sunlight is bad for their
propagation or life in most cases
They all required moisture-they are
water plants. Tetanus germs do not
thrive in air, and it is for this rea-
son that their effects are always be
meath the surface in a closed wound
paniIluc DESTROYS complpx cfruc.
lures, breaking them down into sim
pier elements. This was illustrated
, by following the growth of vegeta-
tion through its consumption by an.
I, imals, their d~isintegration through
! bacterial activity, and the final re
: turn to the soil of their elements.