Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-08-17
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRAcEWELL.

would speedily blow cold germs away
| No doubt this is accomplished. but in
the meantime the wind gives them a
greater dissemination. In Winter, in q
closed vehicle, there is some chance OF
the germs not being broadcast more
than feet, as some scientists claim.
THAT claim, 1 believe, is mostly what
the youngsters call the bunk. Let me
tell you Of a real experience. was
walking down the street recently. in
company with a friend, when a gentle
man walking at least 80 feet in front
Of us gave a mighty ker-chew.
Immediately 1 felt spray across
my face. 1 turned to my companion.
Did you feel that?' I asked. I certainly
did he replied, pulling out his hand
kerchief, and wiping his brow.
What happened, OF course, was that
the wind YVES in Just the right direction
to blow his sneeze back directly into
our faces. This little incident was il
Illuminating. was 1t not?
1T is all very we'll to lay down theo-
retical limits to the potency of sneezes.
but the truth is that one Is never safe
from them.
Let me correct an impression. II I
have given 1t, that ! am afraid Of
germs beyond what an intelligent per-
son ought to experience.
THE breathing forth Of quantities
OF water vapor, called a sneeze, from
the depths Of the human lungs, throat
and mouth, Is an intensely personal ex-
perience which no one ought to want
to share with others.
There are certain actions which cul-
tured people do not indulge in while in
public, and I feel sure that the time
will come when sneezing will be one
Of them.
ut will yet be possible to board q
public vehicle without running a bar
rage Of coughs and sneezes. 1t Is ridic-
ulous to say that one cannot help
sneezing. One can, If one tries.
THE simple expedient Of pressing
firmly on the upper lip. just below the
nose, when one experiences a desire
to sneeze is effective nine times out of
ten.
Most people who sneeze in public
know before they sneeze that they are
going to do it. If they realized the
harm Of what they were about to do,
they would take steps to nip it In the
bud, or, at the least, they would make
some attempt to catch it, to sneeze
downward toward the floor, or muffle
the remainder in handkerchief.
y
"a feature Of our work during the
coming Winter" went on Jones. will
be the study of the symptoms OF an
oncoming cold, and hence the posi-
bility of knowing one is about to
sneeze. The civilized man. once in
possession of these facts, will do some
thing about 1t.
Mental irritation Is one Of the little
suspected signs Of an oncoming cold
If you are irritable at breakfast, or have
kicked the family cat, or Sensed a dis
position to be argumentative about
nothing, know that you may be catching
a cold.
IF the trip downtown, either in
public vehicle or in your own car, seems
unusually long TO you and everybody on
the road a sort of traffic fool, be sure
that you are coming down with a cold.
These are two little-recognized signs.
There are others, and the Anti-Sneeze
Society Of America is looking into them.
No doubt we shall discover some amaz-
ing things which in turn will be pooh
poohed by the experts, but we do not
care about that.
"All great discoveries were pooh
poohed by experts. The thing is to
| bring light out Of darkness; in this case
to hide sneezeS under bushels. 1t can
and will be done"