104 APPLIED BACTERIOLOGY FOR NURSES 



tion; in tonsillitis, in the exudate covering the tonsils; 

 in conjunctivitis and keratitis, in the mucopurulent 

 secretion of the eye. Moreover, it has been found 

 that the pneumococcus is also present in the mucus of 

 the mouth and throat of very many healthy persons. 



We see, therefore, that a great many different sources 

 of infection must be guarded against. So far as the care 

 of pneumonia patients is concerned, all the sputum 

 should be carefully disinfected, and care should be taken 

 that, in coughing, particles of sputum are not sprayed 

 into the air. In crowded rooms the inhalation of such 

 moist spray particles by others is undoubtedly a com- 

 mon source of infection. Patients suffering from pneu- 

 monia are often too ill to prevent their soiling their 

 lips, face, and hands with sputum, and the nurse should, 

 therefore, be on her guard to prevent further infection 

 from this source. The enumeration of the main sources 

 of infection as given above should suffice to guide the 

 nurse in guarding others against pneumococcus infec- 

 tion. It is encouraging to know that the pneumococcus 

 is very sensitive to germicidal agents. Exposed to direct 

 sunlight pneumonic sputum loses its infectivity after a 

 few hours. The fine spray expelled in coughing that 

 remains suspended in the air soon dries so completely 

 that no pneumococci survive after two hours. 



