104 The Story of the Bacteria 



for many years been the victim of typhoid. 

 In these two cases cited, the bacteriologist 

 was able to cultivate in the laboratory from 

 the discharge of these two entirely healthy 

 persons virulent typhoid bacilli and show 

 that these were present in enormous numbers. 



Such persons, now known to be common 

 among convalescents from this fever, are 

 called " typhoid carriers. " The possibility of 

 danger when such persons are concerned with 

 food supplies or food preparation are obvious. 



The lesson of this unpleasant revelation is 

 that our standards of personal cleanliness 

 must be more exacting, if we are to be reason- 

 ably secure against chance infection from 

 " typhoid carriers. " 



Altogether the probabilities are that in the 

 majority of cases the typhoid-fever germs are 

 most frequently carried and consumed in 

 milk and in water which have in some way 

 been polluted by human waste containing 

 the typhoid germ. 



It seems quite incredible, when put down 

 in black and white on paper, that responsible 

 and sane persons of ordinary intelligence, 



