The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1918-05-31
INNOCENT PEOPLE
SUBJECT TO PLAGUE
PUBLIC HEALTH MENACED BY
PERMITTING DISEASE TO
RUN RAMPANT.
WIPE OUT THIRD GREAT PLAGUE
Hundred Different Ways In Which
venereaI Diseases Can Be Trans
mitted to Others.

mitted to Others.
Lansing. Mich.-There seems to be
a prevailing opinion among many per.
sons that venereal diseases may be
contracted in only one way, but ply
sicians handling these cases have long
since discovered that gonorrhea and
syphilis may be carried to innocent
persons in a hundred different ways.
People learned long ago of the
danger that turks in the public drink.
ing cup and the public towel Parents
have cautioned their children against
the use of these articles because OF
the danger from whooping cough,
scarlet fever and other diseases of
childhood.
To all of these diseases must be
added syphilis.
The state board OF health cautions
persons suffering from syphilis to keep
personal toilet articles out of the
reach Of others. Razors, combs, brush
es, towels and similar articles are
mediums through which the disease
germ Is easily communicated.
kissing Is another form Of transmit.
ting the disease. One case recently
reached the attention of the state
board of health where three children
between the ages of two and eight
were found to be suffering from sy.
philis.
Svnhjiis Menaeea ChjIdran
Reasonably sure that they were FREQ
from any venereal faint, the father
and mother Immediately submitted 10
blood test. The analysis showed con.
clusively that the parents were not
diseased.
Anxiously they began an investiga-
ton to determine the possible source
of infection and finally came to the
conclusion that the nurse maid might
be the carrier A Wasserman test was
applied to the girl and a positive case
Of syphilis was shown.
The nurse girls affection for the
children had resulted in her kissing
them a great many times. In this par
ticular cases, however, the disease
did not gain a permanent foothold as
1t was discovered in time and respond
ed promptly to treatment.
Unusual Case In Detroit.
Another case, more unusual in its
nature, was recently reported from
Detroit, where eye specialists are
making valiant fight to save the
sight of business man whose eyes
became infected in a most unusual
manner.
This Is the story as reported by
reputable physician A man in one
of the automobile plants reported to
his physician with an infection in his
eyes. The doctor Immediately prom
ounced it gonorrhea.
An immediate investigation was
started 10 trace the source Of infection
and the patient was asked to detail
every move he had made during the
previous week. Carefully he went over
the ground and when he told Of drive
he had taken in a skeleton car left
in front Of the office by one OF the
testers, the doctor saked for further
details.
Germ Transmitted BY Wlping Eyes.
The man remembered that he had
left the office hurriedly and had not
taken his gloves, and that during tho
drive his eyes had watered and he
had rubbed them with his bare hands.
Thinking possibly that the tester
who drove the car might be afflicted
with gonorrhea an effort was made
to find him, but his identity could not
be established and 1t was decided to
examine some fifty odd testers. Out
Of the 80 men 35 were found to have
either syphilis or gonorrhea, and the
doctor came to the conclusion that tho
steering wheel was the carrier Of tho
disease germs.
Infected toilet seats have been the
medium through which children, par.
ticularly little girls, have developed
gonorrhea.
As DR.. Richard M. DIN, secretary
OF the state board Of health, points
out, the discovery of a venereal dis
ease In either husband or wife,
should not constitute Immediate
grounds for charges OF infidelity.
Investigate Before Judging.
People should not rush Immediately
to the divorce courts upon learning
that one or the other Is afflicted with
venereal disease" said DR.. Olin.
owing to the wide spread nature
OF the disease and the great possibili-
ty that 1t may be contracted in a per-
fectly innocent manner married
people should not Jump at conclus-
ions, as 1t has been proven on several
occasions that innocent persons have
been publicly Inundated In the di.
vorce courts through no fault of their
own.
THE best way to avoid these dis
eases is to lead a clean life. Keep
away from prostitutes, ninety-five per
cent OF these women are diseased, and
remember that the same agencies like
the public drinking cup and public
towel that spread the germs of small
pox, diphtheria and tuberculosis, also