Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1922-02-15

The Germ Theory Bogey.
Can original article by DIR. j. B.
Fraser of Ala Sherbourne St., Toron-
to, Ontario, Canada. Printed by re-
quest).
One of the surprising facts of to-
day is that thousands of people fail
to realize that the claim that germs
cause disease is simply a THEORY,
NOT A FACT, and while there is
indisputable proof that the germs
of tuberculosis, typhoid, diphtheria,
pneumonia, and meningitis are inert;
yet they Cling to last century suppo-
sitions, and refuse to consider pres
ent day facts.
To illustrate the difference between
fact and theory let us glance at
some former medical views. During
the. 10th century it was believed to
be fact that disease was caused by
evil spirits, or demons, which could
be exercised by priest or saint; to-
day we consider that view simply
superstitious. In the the 18th CEN
tury it was considered a fact that
disease was due to the influence of
the sun, moon, and stars, and that
the constellation under which a<man
was born governed the type of dis
ease from which he might suffer.
Today we look upon it as a dead
| theory.
In the 18th century physicians
claimed that disease was due to "hu-
mors, venoms, or morbific matters in
the blood;" and this view was sup
ported by the ablest men of that day.
| Now while it was recognized that
there was changes in the tissue and
| rno q
changes and the belief that venoms,
humors, etc.. caused disease died out.
! AS former theories were not salts
factory determined effort was made
| by the 18th century medical scien-
lists to solve the cause of disease and
large number of men such as Klebs,
Loeffier, Fraenkel and Weichselbaum
spent years in experiments on ami
mails with the result that the germs
found with tuberculosis, typhoid,
diphtheria, pneumonia and meningitis
are associated with the names men
toned respectively. AS might be ex-
pected different men arrived at diff
ferent conclusions and as too little
consideration was paid to the differ
ence between man and animal, the
conclusions arrived at were not relia-
| BILE.
| Following the usual precedent, Goth
century medical scientists attacked
the views of last century men basing
their reasons on various grounds,
such as: (1st) that according to the
law of CAUSE and EFFECT the
germ theory is failure as the germs
do not appear until AFTER the on
set of disease. (2d) That some
germs, such as the Klebs-Loeff1er, are
simply the normal product of
healthy throat. (3d) That the So
called deadly germs of diphtheria,
m n n G t is, typhoid, tuberculosis,
pneumonia, etc., can be taken by mil
lions in milk, water, bread, potatoes,
meat, etc., also mopped ever the ton
sils, soft palate, tongue, and mucuS
membrane of the mouth and throat,
or swabbed in the nasal cavities,
without danger after a series of eX-
periments extending over several
years with germs. do not know of
single case of Infection; and 9TH
ers report likewise.
(3d) That because of illness fol-
lowed by the hypodermic injection of
germs in an animal, was no proof
they would affect man when taken
naturally. (4th) That past and
present experience shows clearly that
large number of common diseases
are due to chemical, not bacterial
causes. (5th) That many diseases
may have a variety of causes instead
of one. (6th) That experiments on
man Carried out with the consent
and help of the patient) are the only
trustworthy sources of information,
many animals being immune to hu-
man disease. (7th) The assumption
by some medical health officers (M.
H. O.'s) that germs are the real
cause of disease is a distinct menace
to the health and safety of the public
in more than one way. For instance,
healthy, happy, vigorous children
from healthy homes are quarantined
as "germ carriers" shut up like
criminals, forbidden to leave their
room or home for play or exercise,
kept from school, their health dam
aged, the home disturbed, unneces-
sary expense incurred and worry
doubled, and all because the M. H. 0.
believe in a last century theory-out
of date, discarded by the men who
have proved it failure, and fit only
for the boneyard.
Another instance is where water
is suspicious and the M. H. 0. decides
to ensure" its safety by adding
hypo-chloride of lime (bleaching pow
der) to "lzill the germs" and this in
spite of the fact that bleaching pow
der is violent irritant to the mucus
membranes of the stomach, lungs and
kidneys, corrodes and destroys water
pipes and radiators, impairs the taste
and smell of the water, and is use
less as a germicide unless it is strong
enough to destroy the man who
drinks it; for if it is strong enough
to destroy living cells outside of the
body, it is strong enough to destroy
living cells in the body and death re-
suits.
A third menace to the life and
health of infants is where M. HI. O.'s
shut off the supply of natural milk
from infants who cannot digest the