﻿THE 
  BACTERIA 
  217 
  

  

  (refuse 
  from 
  stables, 
  exposed 
  and 
  decaying 
  garbage, 
  etc.) 
  

   and 
  to 
  keep 
  flies 
  out 
  of 
  public 
  and 
  private 
  dwelling 
  places 
  ; 
  

   to 
  insure 
  a 
  pure 
  and 
  well-kept 
  supply 
  of 
  milk 
  and 
  water 
  ; 
  1 
  to 
  

   keep 
  vegetables 
  and 
  other 
  foods 
  that 
  are 
  sold 
  in 
  public 
  places 
  

   free 
  from 
  dust 
  and 
  flies 
  and 
  promiscuous 
  handling 
  ; 
  to 
  disinfect 
  

   all 
  known 
  or 
  suspected 
  disease-bearing 
  materials 
  of 
  all 
  kinds 
  ; 
  2 
  

   to 
  have 
  abundance 
  of 
  fresh 
  air 
  ; 
  to 
  have 
  all 
  the 
  sunshine 
  possi- 
  

   ble, 
  since 
  sunshine 
  is 
  destructive 
  to 
  many 
  disease 
  germs. 
  

  

  202. 
  Importance 
  of 
  high 
  standards. 
  The 
  maintenance 
  of 
  a 
  

   high 
  standard 
  of 
  vigor 
  is 
  evidently 
  important 
  as 
  a 
  means 
  of 
  

   preventing 
  bacterial 
  disease. 
  Many 
  people 
  have 
  had 
  disease- 
  

   producing 
  bacteria 
  introduced 
  into 
  their 
  bodies 
  without 
  any 
  

   serious 
  consequences 
  -- 
  indeed, 
  without 
  even 
  being 
  conscious 
  

   of 
  danger. 
  They 
  were 
  in 
  such 
  vigorous 
  condition 
  that 
  the 
  

   initial 
  growth 
  of 
  bacteria 
  was 
  prevented. 
  An 
  instructive 
  

   experiment 
  relative 
  to 
  this 
  point 
  was 
  performed 
  by 
  Pasteur. 
  

   Ordinary 
  domesticated 
  fowls 
  are 
  not 
  readily 
  susceptible 
  to 
  

   anthrax 
  ; 
  Pasteur 
  found, 
  however, 
  that 
  if 
  he 
  kept 
  the 
  fowls 
  

   at 
  lower 
  temperatures 
  than 
  was 
  normal 
  for 
  them, 
  they 
  were 
  

   very 
  susceptible 
  to 
  anthrax, 
  and 
  that 
  under 
  such 
  circum- 
  

   stances 
  it 
  proved 
  deadly 
  to 
  them. 
  This 
  is 
  a 
  common 
  principle 
  

   of 
  hygiene. 
  When, 
  through 
  excessive 
  fatigue, 
  loss 
  of 
  proper 
  

   sleep 
  or 
  nourishment, 
  or 
  any 
  other 
  cause, 
  bodily 
  vigor 
  is 
  greatly 
  

   reduced, 
  susceptibility 
  to 
  disease 
  is 
  increased. 
  

  

  Modern 
  bacteriology 
  has 
  offered 
  the 
  human 
  race 
  the 
  means 
  

   of 
  escape 
  from 
  many 
  diseases. 
  Ignorance, 
  lack 
  of 
  care, 
  and 
  

   financial 
  greed 
  are 
  often 
  the 
  only 
  excuses 
  that 
  can 
  be 
  offered 
  

   when 
  certain 
  diseases 
  occur. 
  If 
  only 
  those 
  who 
  are 
  responsible 
  

  

  1 
  In 
  Germany 
  it 
  is 
  unlawful 
  for 
  filtered 
  water 
  to 
  contain 
  more 
  than 
  100 
  

   bacteria 
  per 
  cubic 
  centimeter, 
  and 
  it 
  should 
  always 
  contain 
  less. 
  Boston 
  

   has 
  a 
  legal 
  standard 
  which 
  requires 
  that 
  market 
  milk 
  shall 
  not 
  contain 
  more 
  

   than 
  500,000 
  bacteria 
  per 
  cubic 
  centimeter, 
  and 
  Rochester, 
  New 
  York, 
  and 
  

   Milwaukee, 
  Wisconsin, 
  have 
  legal 
  standards 
  of 
  250,000 
  per 
  cubic 
  centimeter. 
  

   Certified 
  milk 
  should 
  not 
  contain 
  over 
  10,000 
  bacteria 
  per 
  cubic 
  centimeter. 
  

   There 
  is 
  milk 
  in 
  which 
  the 
  number 
  runs 
  from 
  one 
  million 
  to 
  several 
  millions. 
  

  

  2 
  In 
  "Bacteria, 
  Yeasts, 
  and 
  Molds 
  in 
  the 
  Home," 
  by 
  H. 
  W. 
  Conn 
  (Ginn 
  

   and 
  Company), 
  there 
  is 
  an 
  excellent 
  popular 
  discussion 
  of 
  the 
  nature 
  of 
  

   bacteria 
  and 
  the 
  effects 
  of 
  their 
  growth. 
  

  

  