Omaha daily bee., 1921-08-13
CARELESS SUN BATHERS.

am requested to write an article
on impetigo contagiosa among those
who go swimming.
In the first place, brief discus
sion of impetigo, contagious disease
of the skin, due in most instances
to staphylococci and in some in
stances to streptococci. 1t is a sup
curative Inflammation, about a Sec
ond cousin to boil. One way to
put it would be this: If a pus germ,
such as a staphylococcus, set up
suppuration in the very deep tissues
of the skin or below them, the con-
dition would be called carbuncle.
If it were rather deep. but less deep
than carbuncle, and caused a good
deal of pus to collect it would be
called boil. If it were more shall
low and not quite so prone to form
pocket of pus it would be impe-
tigo.
1mpetigo may spread around over
fair sized patch, causing a good
many suppurating areas. 1t tends to
dry up after a little, but proper
treatment hastens the process. Being
contagious disease spread by con-
tact and having a great tendency to
spread among school children, many
cities require the reporting of impe-
tigo.
But how about this complaint of
1mpetigo among beach swimmers?
That fair number of swimmers de-
Velop skin eruptions. suppurations
and boils there can be no question.
Are these impetigo and are they due
to infection by polluted water? + do
not think so as to either proposition.
Impetigo is contagious by contact.
1t is not probable that the infec-
tion Is due to polluted water A good
deal of study during the last o years
has been put on the harm done by
polluted swimming water In SWIM
ming pools and elsewhere. The wa
ter in an inside swimming pool can
get pretty badly polluted. Nothing
Keeps 1t free except scientific install
lation, scientific upkeep and rigorous
control.
Our shore waters are receiving an
aWfHi lot of pollution, about as much
as the cleansing action Of the sun
and the powers Of oxidation can
overcome. However, these studies
have established about the following
facts:
There is considerable danger Of
typhoid If badly polluted water is
taken into the mouth or swal-
lowed.
There is considerable danger to
the ears, both the outside ear and
the middle ear.
There is slight danger Of infec-
tion of the eyes, with pus cocci.
There the danger almost stops.
The danger of infection Of the skin
Is slight and the danger of other in
fections is almost nil.
But some people, a fair number
of them, get boils after swimming.
In the classical language of Mr..
Ibanez: How about it? Still EN-.
ploying the manner of speech of the
novelist-there are the bathing suits.
eh, what! Who washed them, where.
In what? How much soap, not to
mention other things, was left in the
cloth? Then there's the sun and the
sand. What makes you think. ALL
that is good for the skin-thin, deli |
cate skin, covered all the year,
shielded from the sun?
Zip comes July. Hours in the sun,
no cover, sunburn, dirty sand, ali |
sorts of hands, exposure for hours |
Why blame the water? Eh, what?
l think there are lots of other things |
to blame.
In all probability, if we put on a
we'll washed suit of moderately soft
texture, went in for a brief swim. |
treated our skin nalf as decently as |
We should in view of what it is ac-
customed to, there would be few
Dolls and less impetigo charged to |
bathing.