THE MICROSCOPE 



JULY, 1896. 

 Number 43 New Series 



Truth About Microbes. 



Bv WILLSON D. YOSTLING. 



There was a period in the history of the world when 

 "blood-letting" was regarded as a cure for every form of 

 disease ; there has also been a period now happily end- 

 ing, when ethyl-alcohol, in the form of wine, ale or 

 spirits, was supposed to be necessary in the treatment 

 of maladies, and now, in 1890, we are suffering from what 

 I am compelled to call " antiseptiphobia," by which I 

 mean a belief upon the part of the public that most of 

 the ills to which flesh is heir can be cured by the judi- 

 cious use of microbicides. Indeed, since tlie establish- 

 ment of the germ theory of disease, the world seems to 

 have arrived at the conclusion that carbolic acid and 

 similiar preparations possess powers almost allied to 

 magic. 



The substitution of the nasty smell of a drug — or 

 chemicals — for the offensive smell of some other char- 

 acter is worthless as far as the destruction of micro- 

 organisms and the prevention of disease are concerned. 

 Further, no disinfectant for rooms can be of much value 

 unless it can be applied to the walls and ceiling, as well 

 as to the contents of the room. 



As long ago as 1887, Dr. Alfred Carpenter, of Eng- 

 land, condemned the use of carbolic acid, upon the 

 ground that it tends to preserve the dormant germs 

 from decay. Nor is this all, for Dr. George Sternberg, 

 a high authority, has written that " experiments with 



