BACTERIA 215 



sorbent cotton. It has been discovered that certain 

 substances, like formaldehyde and hydrogen peroxide, 

 prevent their growth. These substances are called 

 disinfectants. 



Certain bacteria thrive in the living flesh ; it is therefore 

 necessary to disinfect cuts or else blood poisoning, which 

 is a bacterial disease, may set in. Sometimes when a rusty 

 nail is run into the hand or foot, if the wound is not 

 properly disinfected and cared for, lockjaw, another bac- 

 terial disease, is developed. After a wound is disinfected, 

 it is usually dressed with absorbent cotton in order to keep 

 out the bacteria. 



Bacteria are the cause of many diseases, such as pneu- 

 monia, tuberculosis, smallpox, typhoid fever and others. 

 People having diseases of these kinds throw off great 

 quantities of bacteria, usually called germs. If such germs 

 are breathed into the lungs or swallowed into the stomach 

 and intestines of other people, they give them these dis- 

 eases. It is necessary, therefore, in diseases of this kind 

 to take every precaution that the germs shall not be scat- 

 tered abroad. 



Tuberculous patients should be exceedingly careful to 

 use individual dishes, to cover their mouths with cloths 

 when sneezing or coughing, otherwise they will scatter 

 vast numbers of disease germs and become a menace to 

 society. Although thousands are afflicted each year with 

 tuberculosis, largely through the carelessness of those 

 having the disease, it is a readily preventable and curable 

 disease. The vile and dangerous habit of spitting should 

 be abolished everywhere and public drinking cups and 

 towels should be abolished. 



When diseases are very virulent, like smallpox or diph- 

 theria, the patients are usually kept by themselves, quaran- 

 tined, their rooms kept disinfected and every precaution 



