Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-12-13
Or. COURTLAND Y. WHITE
On Bacterioloqy

DACTERIOLOGY is small, minute
ID world to itself which is little known by
the public at large. Its Importance to the
future welfare of the world is even less IN
derstood. according to DIR. Courtland l.
White, City Bactcriologist, who is in charge
Of the meteorological laboratory OF the
Municipal Hospital for Contagious Diseases.
Bacteria are vegetable organisms of
microscopic smallness," says DR.. White,
(which by their presence and growth in our
bodies give rise to various contagious, or
more properly, transmssible diseases All
such diseases are caused by bacteria OF some
sort or another.
at is the function Of this laboratory to
examine specimens and articles with view
to determining whether or not there are Dnc-
term present which might give rise to dis
ease. We do work of this sort for all the
doctors in the city. In fact, | might say
we do all the diagnostic work for the ply
SiCinns of this city.
Among the things which are brought here
to examine are food specimens of all sorts,
including milk in all its stages from the pro-
ducer to the consumer water from wells ana
other places suspected of contamination, and,
Of course, the innumerable samples sent here
every day by the doctors.
Diphtheria AntitoXin
1--WE also manufacture diphtheria anti
toxin and typhoid vaccine in connection with
this work. and we supply it absolutely free
of charge to any one in this city who stands
in need of it.
I'VE work here in an atmosphere of pre-
yentive medicine. 1t Is far better to pre-
vent II disease than to treat it after it has
| made hradway in the patient. So much of
this transmissbe disease is absolutely pre-
ventable. Ii Is largely Il matter of hygiene.
what Is needed Is n campaign of educa-
| ton on matters of hygiene which starts
| early in the lower grades of school and so
| makes habits of cleanliness and natural
caution in these matters thing which il,
as you might say. bred in the bone. 1t
| should be second nature with everybody.
| IF the world of business and commerce
realized how vitally the cpldemics of trans
missible diseases affect their prosperity,
| they would be the first to give active CO.
| operation i'll campaign of this sort Not
| only do serious epidemCS give the region
affected bad name among other communi .
| ties, but there Is an immense actual loss in
man power. labor, all that is lost when a
| man is sick and cannot work.
| There are about 1000 diphtheria cases n
| year The financial loss to the patient alone
| is never less than $50. Allow literally for
other expenses both to himself and the com =
| munity, and multiply by 4OO0 and you see
| what this one disease does alone.
| "Pneumonia and tuberculosis lead the list
| Of these diseases in the number of cases per
year They are passed on very easily, and
| hence are the ones that take the greatest
| toll. And yet the ravages of these two dis
| eases could be materially reduced if the pub .
lie was wiling to exert even the smallest
amount of care In an effort to prevent them
I'VE have Il staff Of forty two here. seven
of whom are bactcriOlOgists. Our work GOV
ers about 100 900 examinations year, which
covers every kind Of tranSmssible disease.
System Very Simple
'"The system on which it is arranged i,
| very simple. Every police station is in c!fcc
sub station of this laboratory, through
which we distribute supplies and keep il
touch with the public. Specimens to b,
analyzed are brought from the patient to III,
police station, where they are collected anc
taken to City Hall. There our own convey,
ance calls for them and brings them herr
! to be analy2Sd,
Usually it takes us twelve to ffteeI
| hours to make the examination and reDOr
the results to the doctor although some O
the more difficult ones take four to five day
| to COnsummatc. From this report the phy
sician Is able to say whether or not the pa
tient IL suffering from the disease susDected
Yes, of course there Is certain amOun
of risk in connection with work of this sort
but It has to be done, and little care is
reasonably sure preventive of cOntagion, |
IL double danger because worker her
who catches anything In the course of hi
work Is not only in bad way himself, bu
he is a menace to all other th whom Ii
comes in contact before cation, Ii
other words, he becomes a c.rrer.
"It Is rather amusing at times to see IN