The sun., 1917-07-29
EXPERT RIDICULES
POISONED PLASTERS
Says Theory Of Germans
Spreading Tetanus Germs
Is Imaginary.
METHOD IS TOO CRUDE
Chemist Warns, However,
Against Unsanitary Medi-
Gated Cloth Pedlers Sell.

The idea that German agents are
spreading tetanus and typhoid by means
OF poisoned court plaster IL too ally to
be seriously considered for a minute; it's
too asinine and stupid for any German.
Any OF their agents worthy Of the name
would know thousand more effective
methods Of scattering disease and
spreading terror"
Thus did a high official OF one Of the
greatest drug and chemical mauufac-
turing concerns in the country (Johnson
& Johnson) puncture the latest bit OF
hysteria the American people have been
experiencing. A statement emanatIng
from the New York State Defence Coun-
ell at Albany recommending the discon-
tinuance OF the use of court plaster and
associatlng the announcement with the
German plot alarm, had brought about
the Interview with the drug expert
In the first place court plaster bark
ems back to the bygone age Of celluloid
collars and pointed Shoes" the chemist
continued. Its out of style, old FASH
ioned and the whole business is slowly
dying. To-day no reputable surgeon or
physician uses court plaster. but rather
the rubber adhesive plaster. II may be
all right for beauty spots, but as a prac-
teal surgical agent it's a thing of the
past
Says Theory Is Imagined.
And yet. according to the latest spy
theory, it's to this ancient, feeble,
wholly innocent court plaster that the
naTrN
their vengeance on our country. Well,
my idea is that we must give them
credit for having more brains than that ::
any one of a thousand methods would be
infinitely more effective and surer."
While II Is possible that the recent
cases OF tetanus, more commonly known
as lockjaw, reported in the West may
have been transmitted through court
plaster. the drug expert contended that
there was absolutely no way of proving
even this But granted that the disease
did come from the plaster. he went on.
the German agent theory was entirely
dreamed into the whole story.
The basis OF court plaster is the
gelatine glue that is spread over the silk
or linen or cotton body" he continued.
This glue is made primarily from bones
and in the use OF bones there Is always
the possibility Of encountering the tet-
anus bacteria. The germ Is one OF the
most peculiar that science knows and
among other unusual peculiarities II
will stand boiling and most chemie
actions. This. Of course, makes 1t en-
tirely plausible, although far from
probable, that tetanus infection coming
from the glue actually has resulted from
the use of court plaster
The manufacturing process, It was ex-
Diainad consists Of ha ell
linen or cotton cloth through steam eter-
tlizers and then automatically coating
one side with the steriliZed antiseptic
glue. Then the prepared sheets are cut
by machinery and then sealed and
packed by hand.
Danger In Cheap PInsters.
As done by the higher class drug
concerns the process Is thoroughly san
itary and the finished product as pur-
chased at the retail stores Is reliable and
clean, but the same cannot be said about
the unsealed package bought from trav-
elling pedlers, mendicants and door to
door statesmen. This court plaster. It
was explained. is sold by unreliable fac
tories in large sheets. and the cutting
and boxing in packages is done in lower
East Side tenement homes. where a
score OF transmissible diseases may live
and work their deadly trade. The germs
OF tuberculosis. which are so common
among sweat shop labor, are only one
of the things that may be passed on.
Tetanus, however, Is no more prevalent
among tenement house dwellers than
among any other class.
According to the announcement from
the State Department of Health speci-
mems Of this court plaster sold by ped
lers have been turned over TO the State
laboratory for examination.
"a very fine idea" commented THE
SUNS informant, but about the only
way of detecting the tetanus bacteria is
by inoculating an animal II the animal
dies 1t proves. OF course. that the bac-
teria was there-unless the animal died
OF some other disease" Possibly some
German agent would have something to
do with that too.