Arizona republican., 1920-12-15
ShGH We Can Kissing :
Bv Era.lcr

A-sa tllelent war against kissing as an ex- out again. ,,,..,'s several learned doctors have issued S,osnouncements on the deadly possi- 1.ies rns or unhygienic oscllation.
 run Paris comes the report that ,,tAIi ton new disease has been caused by Ir.s. S, ana that the malady is spread s, From the fragmentary inforna- 1loh gwen, the disease seems to be soihethlng like pyorrhea, for the teeth Are loosened, and the gums arc sore.
 At the same time. d doctor in this SVIICry urges that if people must kiss, et least they should forego indulging in .ne morning kiss, as germs-especiaIly ne germs Of tuberculosis-are apt to be most virulently active in the mouth (Ahen-
 Medical objection to kissing in the morning might be made a convenient excuse for avoiding the perfunctory peck or duty expected by some of your relatives. No doubt the family physi- SLtn would be lad to furnish certifi- SSte showing that you were not to en- gaze m osculation until 1 o'clock.
 me doctor in question was probably cnietly concerned with the kissing of children. a practice which has long oeen looked upon with disfavor by sticklers for a germless existence. Nhildren are much more susceptible to many kinds of disease germs than 1rown people They have great many so-calied children's diseases, often un- necessarily, and while there are no fig ureA some doctors hold that these dis eases arc frequently contracted by kiss ing.
 Mouth Microbes
 The number of bacteria you can eaten by one kiss has been carefully calculated by a Vienese physician He iound, presumably by counting them, that there are at least 10000 microbes on one square centimeter of the human npe. These bacteria may include the germs of scarlet fever, typhoid, diph- therie, tuberculosis, and other dreaded diseases It has been observed that the mouths of children who have fully re- covered from diphtheria, are filled with The germs for q long time afterward. VIC Kiss such child, and especially for another child to kiss it, is to invite the disease, according to doctors opposed to Kissing. They admit that it is possible 10 kiss mouth reeking with all sorts or microbes and escape if your body is strong enough to throw off the poisons. But then again you may be in a sus- ceptible condition, and the results are disastrous
 Very impressive, all of this. But even while your brain is struggling to pie lure the horrors of 10000 bacteria hud- dled on human lip, along comes an other doctor and says that thimbleful of milk contains more bacteria than that. and a drink from an ordinary glass is far more microbius eff there IS such a word) than a kiss from an or einary person.
 Anyway. what could be done about n? History shows that the desire to fu f..~~ humans so that 1t would be dlfrlcult to eradicate it. It is true that if no one had taught us how to kiss we might never have discovered it for ourselves. 1t is not an instinct, like laughing or crying. Some savage tribes know noth- ing of 1t. They do usually, however, havo some method of outwardly indi- eating affection, such as the Malay kiss which consists of two people rubbing noses together.
 Kissing Has Diminished
 But though kissing is an integral part of conventional conduct, it does seem to be taking a smaller place in the social hfo If civilized countries. II used to be the custom in England for a girls partner to kiss her before giv- ing her up at the end of a dance to an other man. Further back, the lady of the feudal castle kissed the feet of beg gars, even leprous beggars, on certain religious festivals. And to harlS still further back nto history, the worship of many pagan gods and goddesses pre- scribed kissing some part of the image.
 The kiss of devotion, kissing between men, and indiscriminate kissing at so- cial functions have fallen off. Like wise, the kiss of casual friendship, which is still prevalent among girls, is slowly losing popularity. At one time in England it was customary for the hostess of the mansion to kiss her guests, men and women, on their ar rival, departure, and whenever else it seemed courteous. This custom has long since died out, so far as the men are concerned.
 There remain with us chiefly the kisses of love and those of duty. These seem permanent to our civilization. Yet even they change. Here are the rules laid down by an authority on etiquette of the Victorian age for the perfect kiss:
 When a gentleman discovers that everything is oropitious, he will polite ly take the right hand of the lady in his. then pass his left gracefully over her right shoulder, and diagonally down to her waist, accompanying this with warm clasp, full of magnetism and re- spect. He will not be in a hurry. for such loving experiences always come to an enu LOO soon, ana never With com plete satisfaction"
 The Victorian Kiss
 And here is bow the damseI is sup posed to retailiate:
 After playfully delaying to comply with the gentleman's advances, the lady will gradually show willingness by kyesting her head trustingly on his IT houlder. A glow will come to her cneeks, and blushes will appear. These are the never failing signs of her readl- ness to share her sweetness with the man who looks bravely into her half closed eyes, while manfully drawing her to his bosom like a hero.
 Anyone who wants instruction in the art as it is now practiced can do better by studying skilled professionals who give sample methods at close range in any movie picture play. This is the one field where the kiss is gaining ground rather than losing it.
 The stage kiss used to be a palpable sham. France went so far as to make it an offense punishable by fine for an actor to give an actress bona fide kiss unless by her consent. At least one matinee idol of Paris was hauled into court by an angry husband, and ord cred to answer for kisses bestowed upon his wife m a love scene.
 But now the moving pictures and 2 passion for realism on the stage have changed the rules. so that what passed