Evening star., 1935-04-06
ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS
BY FREDERIC ]. HASKIN,

A reader can get the answer to
any question OF fact BY ,urtting The
Epentno Star Information
Bureau, Frederic J. Hdskin, Director,
Washington, D. c. Please tnclose
stamp for reply.
@. How long has the Oxford Cam
bridge boat race been held?-S. l..
A. The race has been held annually
from 1864. except for the four years
of the war.
@. Are diseases often communicated
through handling of books?-M. D.
A. Jean Broadhurst, professor Of
bacteriology, Columbia University,
says: tuberculosis may adhere to
books, especially to the saliva moist
ened thumbed areas. Examination
OF library books for mouth bacteria
rarely shows streptoccocci in more
than l in 20 books. This indicates
disease transfer through books Is not
very great. Billings, former medi-
cal officer. holds that 90 per cent of
the cases of communicable diseases
are transferred from person to person.
and almost never by fomites, such as
books Many Libraries disregard the
possible danger from books entirely.
School books, which are often more
closely associated with communics BILE
diseases, might profitably be disin-
fected before being used again.
Standing them for a day or two on
one end with leaves spread out loosely
on an open window sill or porch in
sunlight will probably weaken or kill
off ordinary human disease organ
iSmS'
@. In which direction does a ship
travel going through the Panama
Canal and on to the Pacific Ocean?
ID.
A. The ship travels southeast from
the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific
Ocean.
O. How much money did the Farm
Credit Association loan last year?-
H. T.
A. The loans averaged over S5,000,-
900 day. Including farm mortgage
loans. short-term production loans
and loans to farmers marketing and
purchasing co-operatives. the total
amount advanced during 1884 was
81 1870, ,0OO, 900.
@. Is there any way to prevent
waSpS from building in caves and at
ticS?-H. G. M.
A. There is not. The nests should
be located and removed, care being
taken to protect the hands and face.
If the infestation is serious within
doors, fumigation may be resorted TO-
The proper fumigation to use is
substance such as hydrocyanic acid
gas, which will effectively kill any
insects in the room where it is used.
Such fumigants are deadly poiSonS
and should never be employed except
under exact instructions.
@. What are the principal chemi-
calls in Great Salt Lake?-A. H
A. Sodium chloride and borax are
the main substances dissolved in
Great Salt Lake.
@. Why are there no snakes in Ire
land?-A. A. H.
A. Snakes are practically non-exist-
ent in Ireland and scarce in Great
Britain because of geographical isola-
ton of these islands and their tenn
perate climate. Snakes appeared fairly
late in geological developments ana
therefore are absent from some pol
tions of the earth's surface which
became isolated before their time.
@. Who was the DR.. Price who was
invited to come to America to help
establish the Government after the
War?-K. M. R.
A DR. Richard Price was born in 1928
and died in 1891. He was clergyman
in London. He became greatly inter-
ested in the American Colonies and
published in 1776 pamphlet entitled
Observations on Civil Liberty and the
Justice and Policy of the War With
America" A second pamphlet on the