1 62 POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



Further quotation from this circular letter aptly describes this 

 recent agitation : " There has been much talk on the subject, but no 

 ' do/ " for Mr. Morrison gives no experimental evidence as a basis for 

 this agitation, but says "the statistics regarding germs and microbes 

 found on coins and bills are from one of the most eminent chemists of 

 New York/' who, at the instance of Mr. Morrison, made an especial 

 investigation and found that money is one of the most effective ways 

 by which contagious diseases are disseminated, especially loathsome 

 diseases and " the white man's plague.' ? 



The statistics, as given, are from the Eesearch Laboratory of the 

 Board of Health of New York; pennies averaged 26 living bacteria 

 each; dimes, 40; moderately clean bills, 2,250, and dirty bills, 73,000 

 living bacteria each. In order to have these statistics at first hand, 

 I wrote to Dr. Park, of the Eesearch Laboratory, who informed me 

 that the only study made upon bacteria on money, in his laboratory, 

 was completed some years ago. He also said : " We found paper money 

 to be similar to other paper and rags and capable of carrying living 

 tubercle and diphtheria bacilli for some days or longer. We have 

 never found any evidence whatever of the actual transfer of disease 

 through money." 



Mr. Morrison outlines clearly his plan for clean sanitary bills and 

 coins: (1) a much larger issue by the government of bills of small 

 denominations, so that there shall be plenty of new money to redeem 

 the old; (2) free registry of all bills sent to the treasurer of the United 

 States for redemption; (3) the establishment in all states of central 

 government stations to which money may be sent by all banks to be 

 cleansed and polished; (4) the antiseptic cleansing by all banks, stores 

 and corporations, of all coins and bills passing through them; and 

 last, that every individual cleanse and disinfect all money which he 

 receives. 



I certainly agree with Mr. Morrison that the government should 

 issue enough new bills of small denominations to replace the old, and 

 that it would be a good plan to allow the people to cooperate in the 

 redeeming of the old bills by making the registry of all bills sent to 

 the treasurer for redemption, free. As for the establishment in all 

 states of government stations for cleansing money, would the expense 

 involved be justified, when we consider that not a single case is on 

 record where an infectious disease has been transmitted through soiled 

 money ? Is there any method known whereby we can sterilize a stack 

 of tightly bound bills; or will each bill be sterilized separately, per- 

 haps by being spread on a continuous belt passing through a disin- 

 fecting solution? And would not the process of sterilization greatly 

 diminish the (non-bacterial) "life" of a bill? 



When one bank official of New Haven was informed about the 

 suggestion that banks, stores and corporations should sterilize all money 



