The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1944-06-22

live outside the body mot in the
laboratory: tuberculosis, venere-
a. diseases and scarlet fever"
1t Is a very good practical ques-
ton.
The germs of tuberculosis can
live outside the body indefinitely.
They have been cultivated from
the grave wrappings of Egyptian
mummies. Some of the bodies of
Egyptian mummies show unmis-
taxable signs of having tubercu-
losis Of the spine or pleurisy dur
ing life and the germs have been
cultivated from these spots. The
mummies dated from at least four
thousand years ago and can hardly
be said to come under the defini-
ton of living substance. The old
campaign against splitting in pub
lie places was based on the fact
that if a tuberculous individual
spits on the ground the sputum
would dry and release the tubercu-
losis germs which would blow
about and be breathed in by q
healthy person.
Spread of tuberculosis
However, we have learned that
infection by that means is very I'M
common in tuberculosis. The usual
methods. Of contagion are by hu-
man contact-parent to child,
brother TO sister, ETC., in early life
and by milk from cattle infected
with tuberculosis. Kissing an in
-fected person is very dangerous
for a child, not so dangerous for
an adult, because the latter has
usually acquired immunity. For
the same reason drinking from a
glass or using a spoon or fork or
napkin used by tuberculosis pa
tient is liable 10 spread contagion.
The two commonest venereal
diseases differ in the manner Of
contagion. Syphilis is never trans
mitted except by human contact.
The spirochaeta, the cause Of sy-
philis, does not live for any period
of time, perhaps as long as ten
seconds, away from human flesh.
No animals except some species
of monkey can be infected with
the spirochaeta. The fear that sy-
philis can be spread from contacts
with table ware in a restaurant or
az soda fountain is without foun.
dation.
Gonoccoccic infection can be
spread by articles of clothing and
other articles. But such cases are
relatively rare.
Scarlet fever is one Of the So
called exanthemata (acute skin
d eruption) diseases that can be
transmitted by fomites, the dehni-
ton of fomite being any external
non-living object other than food
that can transmit a disease. One
of the famous cases that led TO the
intensive research or the isolation
of the germ Of scarlet fever was
that of nurse who in taking care
of the bed linen Of scarlet fever
patient pricked her finger with a
pin and developed scarlet fever.
This is the reason it is so import
ant to isolate a scarlet fever pa
tent and fumigate or sterilize all
the articles in the sick room after
the patient RECEIVERS.
A child with scarlet fever
should be given only books and
toys that can be burnt when the
period Of convaleScence is over.
All the hangings and furniture of
the room, the mattress and bed
clothes, the window sills and floor
should be fumigated, or rubbed
down with an antiseptc solution
like lysol or burnt.
In this scarlet fever differs from
measles. Measles is spread entirely
by human contact and fomites
have never been proved to be re-
sponsible for cross contagion.
Thus the measles patient can be
allowed 10 get up as soon as the
eruption has subsidized provided
there are no complications, such
as running earl and except for the
ordinary routine and laundry and
airing the room needs no special
treatment ct all.
Chickenpox and mumps are sim
~ ~f -