﻿THE 
  BACTERIA 
  215 
  

  

  the 
  direct 
  light 
  of 
  the 
  sun 
  has 
  a 
  destructive 
  effect 
  upon 
  them, 
  

   and 
  that 
  fresh 
  air 
  is 
  likely 
  to 
  contain 
  fewer 
  tubercle 
  bacilli 
  

   than 
  the 
  close 
  air 
  of 
  rooms 
  in 
  which 
  many 
  people 
  have 
  been. 
  

   Plenty 
  of 
  fresh 
  air, 
  sunshine, 
  and 
  wholesome 
  food 
  are 
  most 
  

   important 
  factors 
  in 
  preventing 
  attacks 
  of 
  tuberculosis, 
  and 
  

   these, 
  together 
  with 
  good 
  general 
  vitality 
  of 
  the 
  body, 
  are 
  the 
  

   best 
  guaranty 
  against 
  this 
  disease. 
  On 
  the 
  other 
  hand, 
  poor 
  

   food, 
  bad 
  air, 
  dark 
  rooms, 
  and 
  low 
  vitality 
  render 
  the 
  body 
  a 
  

   favorable 
  growing 
  place 
  for 
  these 
  germs, 
  when 
  once 
  they 
  are 
  

   introduced. 
  These 
  predisposing 
  factors 
  are 
  of 
  tremendous 
  im- 
  

   portance 
  in 
  relation 
  to 
  tuberculosis. 
  The 
  nature 
  of 
  the 
  occu- 
  

   pations 
  and 
  habits 
  of 
  men 
  have 
  much 
  to 
  do 
  with 
  predisposing 
  

   and 
  exposing 
  them 
  to 
  this 
  disease. 
  In 
  1898 
  an 
  Englishman 
  

   named 
  Newsholme 
  showed 
  by 
  records 
  that 
  for 
  each 
  100 
  agri- 
  

   culturists 
  who 
  died 
  from 
  tuberculosis 
  and 
  other 
  respiratory 
  

   diseases 
  there 
  were 
  453 
  potters 
  and 
  earthenware 
  workers, 
  407 
  

   cutters, 
  373 
  plumbers, 
  and 
  335 
  glassmakers 
  who 
  died 
  from 
  

   these 
  same 
  diseases. 
  

  

  201. 
  Prevention 
  of 
  disease. 
  Bacteria 
  are 
  distributed 
  into 
  

   almost 
  every 
  nook 
  and 
  corner 
  of 
  the 
  earth 
  - 
  - 
  in 
  soil, 
  air, 
  

   water, 
  and 
  dust, 
  and 
  upon 
  and 
  within 
  the 
  bodies 
  of 
  plants 
  

   and 
  animals. 
  Disease-producing 
  bacteria 
  are 
  common, 
  though 
  

   far 
  less 
  abundantly 
  distributed 
  than 
  forms 
  which 
  do 
  not 
  cause 
  

   disease. 
  It 
  must 
  be 
  kept 
  clearly 
  in 
  mind 
  that 
  if 
  all 
  disease- 
  

   producing 
  bacteria 
  from 
  patients 
  who 
  have 
  disease 
  were 
  

   immediately 
  killed, 
  there 
  would 
  soon 
  be 
  no 
  danger 
  of 
  distri- 
  

   bution 
  of 
  disease 
  by 
  any 
  of 
  the 
  ordinary 
  agencies. 
  A 
  good 
  

   deal 
  is 
  known 
  about 
  the 
  methods 
  of 
  distribution 
  and 
  infec- 
  

   tion 
  of 
  the 
  most 
  dangerous 
  disease-producing 
  forms, 
  though 
  

   our 
  knowledge 
  is 
  by 
  no 
  means 
  complete. 
  Polluted 
  water 
  and 
  

   milk 
  have 
  often 
  been 
  the 
  means 
  of 
  wholesale 
  distribution 
  of 
  

   typhoid 
  germs 
  (fig. 
  171). 
  There 
  are 
  numerous 
  records 
  of 
  cases 
  

   in 
  which 
  the 
  typhoid 
  pollution 
  of 
  rivers 
  has 
  been 
  directly 
  fol- 
  

   lowed 
  by 
  outbreaks 
  of 
  typhoid 
  in 
  cities 
  that 
  get 
  their 
  water 
  

   from 
  these 
  rivers. 
  There 
  are 
  also 
  instances 
  where 
  typhoid- 
  

   polluted 
  milk 
  has 
  left 
  a 
  trail 
  of 
  typhoid 
  wherever 
  it 
  was 
  used. 
  

  

  