The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-12-23
IF PNEUMONIA GERMS WE'RE AS LARGE
 AS FLIES

It is too bad our eyes lack microscopic
 power What a difference it would make in the attitude of many who purport to be intel | ligent if pneumonia germs were as visible to the eye as are ordinary house flies or mos quitoes.
 | Somewhere in Wisconsin former patient | sued a doctor for damages claiming that be- | cause the doctor had failed to see that the pa- tient was kept warm enough the patient had taken 0 chill and developed pneumonia. The
 court held that insufficient bed covers or in-
 sufficient clothing, or insufficient artificial of one kind or another, was the cause of the
 pneumonia or at least a predisposing factor, and accordingly mulcted the doctor However
 no one has ever proved by experiment that such "exposure" or indeed any degree of ex- posture to cold or dampness is a predsposing
 cause or factor of any Illness, save only frost bite.
 Now if pneumonia germs were as large as fies--
 Down in Maine guest absconded. so to speak from a summer hotel where he had contracted to remain for dehnted period at
 a stated price. The guest annoyed and frightened by the plague of flies In the dining room. So he paid his pro rata share of the bill and beat 1t. The hotel sued him for the full amount of the bill, for the entire period he had contracted to stay. The court held that the guest was entitled to leave before his time
 was up, and to pay only the proportionate amount of the bill for the period of his so- journ, for the court felt convinced that flies in q dining room are a nuisance and menace to the health of guests
 If pneumonia germs were large as files,
 that Wisconsin court would have been con- strained to let the doctor off with an apology for despite the lack of covers or comforts the
 patient would have found 1t pretty difficult 10
 show that such discomforts attract pneumonia germs
 attorneys they're dumb enough, but just as
 soon as you elevate one of them to the bench
 he assumes wisdom that is superior to all common sense or reason In any such trlhinS problem as this one of the erect or alleged "exposure' the omniscient judge gives great
 weight to the evidence of his own senses or Ii,,,a triYnt tinn nd weird Vor0iCt9 handed down.
 Typhoid bacilli are no larger than pneumo-
 cocci, yet n court has held that contractor
 who failed to supply pure drinking water for
 laborers maintained on the job was responsible
 for the typhoid fever some of the laborers con,
 tracted PRESUMABLY from the polluted
 drink water furnished in the camp. In recent years since laws or ordinances
 governing the heating of apartments have
 been obtained in the courts against landlords,
 not for the discomfort tenants have suffered by
 reason of insufficient heat but for fatalities from pneumonia for which the landlords fall ure to supply sufficient heat has been blamed. have no reason to love landlords, but this
 modern practice of batting landlords on such ridiculous grounds seems to me just loo com ical The courts and the lawyers are perhaps not to blame for their ignorance, but the pub
 lie health authorities who have permitted such QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Correct Address Do you not think, asks a correspondent who
 directs letter to me at . place where Il lived ci
 
 for your readers If you gave an address to
 which they may send their queries? Answer-That is precisely why we have giv- en the address here thousands of times. Ad- dress all letters to Dr William Brady in care of this newspaper. Another thing which will | contribute to the satisfaction of the corre- | spondent-a correct address on the reply en- | velope. Too many correspondents use some such indefinite address as City" Local" | which makes the answer unbelievable. Pcpsin
 am troubled good deal with indigestion and blOating ! believe pcpsin would help me-
 What form of pcpsin dc you consider best to take? (R. F.)
 Answer--I do not believe pepsin in any form ever does any good
 Responsibility for Typhoid Fever Please settle an argument. Has any court tn
 this country ever held any corporation Ot per. son legally responsible for typhoid fever?
 nican iins . court ever given q Judgment t0 tlse yh .in against the corporation or person For negligence or anything like that? tM. q. WI Anawor--Yes. Tho Wisconsin supreme court held m contractor or employer responsible for | his failure to provide safe drinking water for his workmen. l5 or Is years ago. Following n | typhoid fever epidemic in Oiean, ", f' two or | thsee years ago. a large number Of the victims sslsalned Judgments against the city for fhiluro ot protect the municipal water supply against n0llutlOn. 1 believe some other rulings have been based on q similar ground.