The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-06-22
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
Information Bureau
FREDERIC J. HAsKIN. Director.
Washington. d. G.
Rencffcient Bacteria

is probably no place where a germ can
receive a more cordial welcome or
live a more eventful life than at the
Hygienic Laboratory of the Public
Health Service
: Germs of any distinction at all are
treated with great consideration here,
white Axiychen for the enormous num-
Der Of the laboratory boarders. The
bacteria are fed at government ex-
pense. Their tastes are closely studied
and catered TO.
Most disease germs like beef. and
in a white. glass front cabinet you
can see rows of squat glass bottles
containing various Kinds of carefully
prepared bouillon. About 800 pocnds
Of fine grade lean beef went into the
bottles on these shelves, n laboratory
pathoIogist explains. This is about a
weeks ration. The food must be pre-
pared fresh every few days for the
discriminating bacteria. Some of the
sugar to suit certain kinds of bacteria.
Others prefer salt. A Few demand
a dash of alcohoI-and get it.
The meals of the bacteria are.
strange to say, protected against
germs that il against other germs.
Big white sterilizing machines kill all
possible intruding bacteria before the
government employed bacteria are in
troduced to it.
THESE petfed bacteria are not
have important work to do in labora-
tory experiments and under the mi
crCscope. They go from the kitchen
II test tubes that are partly filled with
theil favorite food so that they may
grow and multiply Like human be-
inss they can work best under favor
able conditions. so they are kept at q
ccngeniAl temperature. Most disease
germs prefer body heat, tho a few
hardy types will grow at almost freez-
fem
No one could estimate how many
bacteria the hygfenic laboratory has
on its hands at any one time. 1abora-
tory scientists. who aim at exactness
whenever it is humanity possible. ex-
pI1ir. that it is humanity impossible to
Keep track of numbers. They simply
ray that there can be myriads of bac-
terra on an inch of presumably clean
skin or in a tiny cross section of tissue.
One scientist who spent some time
counting the plague bacteria in the
stomach of a flea found 1000. But
no ono knows how many other bac-
terra were in that pin point space. IN
visible to the highest power micro
scope. The bacteria Of the common
est of children's diseases. chickenpox,
humps and measles. have never been
seen. They defy the best enlarging
apparatus, and they slip thru the
finest filters.
How infinitesimally small these
elusive bacteria must be is understood
when you consider what minute work
is required to deal with the larger
bacteria. those that can be seen when
ma entitled several hundred times.
Serves the Whole Country.
In one room of the laboratory build
ing bits OF tissue are prepared for
study. These samples are sent in by
government doctors from all over the
country. Some are taken from per-
sons who died Of diseases that were
no pnnead I1fharC a Mes
of diseased tissues taken from living
persons in operations They are sent
to the government for Identification of
disease.
piece of tissue about the size OF,
the end of s. thumb is first frozen on
n complicated little instrument. To
10 this .carboHdioxide gas is put under
high pressure in a tube and by turn
ing the key the gas is expanded on to
the specimen as 1t lies on the instru-
ment plate. The gas takes the heat
from the air and water and gradually
ice forms around the bit of tissue.
Then knife device cuts off layers
which will be mounted on glass slides
foA examination under a microscope.
Paper is often used as a compare
tive term of thinness. but so thin are
these slices of tissue that are cut off
that IL would take about 100 of them
to build up the thickness of onion
skin paper. Even in these fine lay
ers of tissue the scientist may find
thousands of disease germs when the
microscope is turned on them. And
these are the larger kinds. of bacteria.
Sometimes the Hygienic Lab0ra-
tory works off and on for 10 or 5
years. using endless generations OF a
bacteria family, in an attempt to de-
Velop an antitoxin or merely in the
hope of adding some bit OF knowledge
the disease is rare one that the gov
eminent has been asked to- study. If
research would be of benefit to the
public the laboratory sometimes gives
it's time to such diseases even tho they
are not prevalent. If the government
had experimental with Spanish influ
enza before it became epidemic a
few years ago the results of the work
might have been of great value.
Tuleremia, a rather new malady
was recently called to the attention
OF the government because of its oc-
currence in Utah. The government
scientists know that the disease is
something like bubonic plague that it
attacks rodents and is carried by a
certain Kind Of fly. A cure, however
is not yet found.
Scientists Contract Diseases.
At one time six employees working.
in the laboratory caught this strange
disease from their experiments with
laboratory animals. The Public Health
Service took care Of them. but there
was very little that could be done ex-
cept make the patients comfortable,
and let the disease run its course.
Devotion to science is marked at
the Public Health Laboratory. During
che war one scientist went about with
wrist watch like device on his arm,
and under the glass a choice collection
of coolies. While the blood-tf1irsty
captives fed on his arm. the doctor
impersonally studied their habits.
The laboratory is working with
tuberculosis. dysentery, syphilis, small
,pox and rabies, and many other dis
eases It has spent some time expert
menting with anthrax and also with
botulinus poisoning, two diseases that
are not so troublesome now as they
were during the war. The frequent
occurrence Of both was Traced to a Re-