The Waterbury Democrat., 1932-12-02
THE UNCONSIDERED SOURCE OF
 INFECTION

correspondent says she was calling on a friend who has pulmonary tuberculosis. Her friend asked for her telephone number. The visitor wanted to write the telephone num- l The visitor wanted to write the telephone mum Der on card. The invalid handed her pen | Gil. Without thinking of what she was doing the visitor put the point of the pencil upon her lips or tongue to moisten 1t. Now she IS alarmed and wishes to know what precaution she can take to prevent infection.
 Too late Too late If the lady is destined to contract tuberculosis from her sick friend the infection probably occurred while she was chatting with the patient and before she useu the pencil at all.
 Of course it is possible that the patient had just moistened the tip of the pencil with her saliva, and, if her tuberculosis is active, some bacil may have been deposited on the pencil tip. But even if a transfer of tubercle bacill were accomplished in this indirect way, 1t is highly improbable that they can gain foot hold in the body of the visitor. Even few. moments of exposure of the tubercle baciH to the baneful effects (to them) of dryness, day. light and the comparatively low room tempera- ture (which is far below what tubercle bacllli are accustomed to and require if they are to live or thrive), renders the germs innocuous if it does not kill them.
 Assuming the patient has active tuberculosis (and therefore tubercle baci1li are being given off in the sputum) if visitor stands or sits within five feet the visitor is being sprayed with spray of moisture or mucus dropiets, most of them invisibly minute. some Of them perhaps containing tubercle baciili, all the while the patient chats with her.
 That is the usual mode of infection with any or all respiratory infections, believe.
 The public has been fairly we'll educated about the danger of the spray of coughing or sneezing. but contend that the health author own popularity or their reluctance to offend some prudish dictate of good taste. At any rate they have remained silent about the dan ger of conversational spray, and there can be no reasonable question that this is quite as dangerous as cough or sneeze spray IS, the only difference being that conversational spray has a range of five feet or less while cough or sneeze spray has a range of 10 to IF feet.
 Among intelligent or polite people open face coughing or sneezng is now as unpardonable is splitting on the floor. Still there are plenty of boors who do not hesitate to cough or sneeze on the back of the neck of the person just ahead in church, ill the theater or in other
 1t is the conoensus of medical opinion. I think that single isolated infections. such as the lady may have suffered by the bad habit of moistening the pencil with tongue or lips, do not produce tuberculosis. It is necessary that the infection be frequently repeated over pe- riod of time, as by chumming with one who has
 In any circumstance where exposure to cri Is concerned beware of the conversational spray.
 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
 Faithful service Unrewarded
 For number of years have been fairly consistent reader of your column, but never before have found 1t necessary to solicit your help two pages of symptOms) hop ing you have something to fit my case. (W M. Answer-For as many years have been con sistently trying to make readers understand that this is no clinic and that am neither a long distance diagnostican nor wizard of ab- sent treatment Any one who has any symp- toms to get off his chest should tell 'em to his physician and to no one else
 Bubbles
 Are carbonated drinks acid or alkaline in ef- feet on t.ic system? Does carbonic gas in drinks destroy vitamins? (F. K.)
 Answer--The carbon dioxide (carbonic acid gas) with which drinks are made sparkling or effervescent has rather an alkaline effect Car bon dioxide tends to preserve vitamins. Somersaults and Some Are Not Bed spell of ap0pIcxy three years ago !. now good health but weak blood pressure rises to z. |. memory very poor arm under doctors care and he tells me to :. am rolling somersaults ever day What should I do--contnue with your treatment or take the purgassNe the doctor prescribes1 tM. Q. JO Answer--What do you mean my treatment ? think any man is fool to have doctor and not obey the doctors orders.