The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1933-03-30
THE ALTRUISM OF THE POPULAR
USE OF ANTISEPTIC

septic Is or how many germs It WILL
destroy or account for in SO many
seconds or minutes, 1t can't do the
person who uses it any good to speak
Of. So far as I can learn there Is no
known antiseptic that has any proved
efficacy in the treatment Of disease.
No such agent or remedy has been
discovered that will appreciably mod
ify or ameliorate any definite disease
or illness. This is the irony OF sci-
ence. If you do not perceive the
irony it is because you do not know
the first principles Of pathology. the
nature Of disease. If you make habit
ual or frequent use Of antiseptic rem
edies in the belief that the practice
benefits you in any way, charge your
credulity to your bad education.
Indeed there is little or no evidence
that antiseptic medicines are worth
using even to prevent infectious dis
ease or to protect one against any
prevailing epidemic disease. Altho
few good physicians may take a dif-
ferent view, the majority Of physi-
clans today are Of the opinion that
antiseptic gargles, nose and THROAT
sprays, lozenges, mouth washes ana
the like are not worth while IN the
attempt to escape contracting any
prevailing disease.
One of the fundamental facts about
germ disease which it seems impos-
sible to teach the wiseacre laity IS
that the germs must have invaded the
tissues before they can produce the
disease. Any germs which may be
free in the mouth. throat. nose, or
other body cavity, and hence perhaps
accessible to antiseptic agents. are
necessarily Of no consequence so Tar
as the patients present illness Is con.
cerned. What Is the sense, then OF
using alleged antiseptics to destroy
these free germs, when 1t Is impce-
sible to get the germs which are really
causing the trouble?
No antiseptic as yet discovered can
appreciably retard the growth ana
multiplication of germs in body It's
sues without seriously damaging the
tissues. Killing or disabling lew
million germs in q test tube or even
in a persons mouth, nose or throat
is one thing. Stopping the activities
Of germs that have invaded body us
sues is quite another thing.
The routine use Of an antiseptic
parple or nasal spray may help to
protect those within the patients
range from catching whatever infec-
ton the patient has. The use OF an
tiseptics in the dressing Of infected
or septic wounds or boils or other sur
gical infections may help to protect
those in close contact with the pa
tient from contracting septic infec-
ton, septicemia, blood poisoning.
These are altruistic purposes. irony
again-the thought Of the average
scoundrel with the cri religiously US
ing an antiseptic spray or gargle IN
his anxiety lest some untutored soul
catch 1t.
theoretically, if one in time Of, say,
q flu epidemic, devoted ones whoie
time to gargling and spraying with
some mild antiseptic one might es-
cape infection. But practically the
only way to escape such infection =
by remaining isolated from all ordi-
nary personal contact with people
who still believe In that mythical con.
dition which old fogy health authori'
ties call 1.-THE common cold" but no.
body ventures to define.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Food Sours In Stomach
Does food turn sour In the stomach
II q person Is In perfect health3
u. H.
Answer-For an hour or two after
10 meal Of ordinary victuals the food
digesting in the stomach Is highly
acid, Or sour Is you would say. You
see, the gastric juice. the fluid e.
creted Or produced by the stomach to
digest food, Is principally water con-
tairing dilute hydrochloric (muriatic)
acid.
Children Should Not Smoke
Please tell me II It does any harm
! to boys Of IS to smoke. Ny cousin
and smoke quite often and ! viii
look for an answer In the paper
(R. RI
Answer-Yes. it ruins your chance
Of getting on in any athletics. and