Evening star., 1930-06-13

Isolation Of the micrococcus coryza,
or organism responsible foe the common
cold" has been announced by Or.
Pfeiffer, associate Of the University of
Maryland Medical School.
After observing sneezers on street cars
for the past month, we arise to an
nounce in our turn that it is high time
the germ" Of the common cold" has
been found, and we are right glad of It,
We have been sneezed upon from
every angle since going back to the
street cars. At first we were inclined
to believe that street car passengers
are more addicted to "colds" than are
bus riders, but now we feel that the
increased amount of sneezing is due
simply to the larger number of fares.
The writer here is willing to offer his
experience upon the altar Of all those
persons who honestly believe that think
ing is what makes the world go around.
Here are the facts: He has been
snee2ed upon from to IL times on
every trip, usually by the person in the
seat just in front of him or by the
wight IN the seat Immediately In the
rear.
Thus the thing which he fears comes
upon him, to use good classical lam
guage. The theory continues this way:
If he did not expect to be sneezed upon
he would not be sneezed upon.
Fearing to catch a cold" from others,
others unconsciously try to give It to
him and hold in their daily sneeSes
distance.
This pretty theory might be given
credenoe by the victim of coryZaphobia
(to coin a neat little word of our own =,
II he had not as persistently predicted
for many a year that a certain bus
line would send one of its buses off
certain bridge.
He held this thought so persistently
that II there had been any power in
the simple use of thinking. no doubt
one or more of these busses would have
gone over the edge long ago.
But nothing like that ever happened,
much to the happiness of himself and
all other riders. Wherefore he is re-
duced to believing that fate, or what
ever 1t is that causes things to happen,
Is not influenced unduly by what any
one person thinks.
With these two examples before
choice between thought influence and
the lack thereof.
In the matter Of colds, however, the
persistence with which sneezers have
singled us out Is almost ridiculous: we
would laugh heartily at the matter If
we were some one else who were get
ting sneezed upon 50 regularly.
We can tell a sneezer almost at a
glance. Just how we do it must re-
main a secret, but so far we have al
most perfect record. Perhaps It is
no more difficult than selecting the
man or woman who sits Immediately
In front of us or behind us.
Just when this sneezer will sneeze
depends upon whether we have, in our
innocence, begun to believe that we
have escaped, for just this one morn
ing. at least.
But no, we may be right down to the
corner where We are getting OF, only
to have the sneezer go "ker-choo" right
into our helpless face.
If he does not do 1t the motorman
or the conductor Is sure to, depending
upon which end of the car we select
from which to dismount.
1t has afforded us some grim arnuse-
ment to stand in the center of the
aisle, begirt before by large lady and
behind by an ever larger gentleman,
and to realize that we, and we alone.
possess the power to make either the
motorman or the conductor sneeze Just
as we choose.