Xix BACTERIA AND DISEASES 289 



an abundance of wholesome foods at regular hours so as 

 to maintain the nutrition of the body on a high plane ; 

 dresses warm and dry, so as to guard against the sudden 

 changes in temperature ; and bathes frequently, so as to 

 keep the skin clean and the pores open. 



The sputum of a person suffering from this disease 

 contains the living germs ; it should be disinfected at 

 once. All articles, as clothing, bed linens, etc., soiled 

 with the sputum should be thor- 

 oughly scalded as soon as removed. 

 Remember that if the sputum is al- 

 lowed to dry, the germs which it 

 contains get into the atmosphere 

 and may be carried abroad. The 

 death rate due to pneumonia has 

 increased very rapidly since 1890. FlG - 157- - Bacteria of 



cholera. 



197. Cholera. The disease known 



as Asiatic cholera is caused by a little comma bacillus, 

 which sometimes occurs in long chains, and hence is 

 often called a spirillum or a spiral-shaped bacterium. 

 The germs are taken into the body through water or 

 food that has become contaminated. Polluted water is 

 probably the greatest source of danger. Flies and other 

 insects may carry the germs to foods, as milk, meats, 

 and fruits. It is well known that filth, bad foods, im- 

 pure air, lack of proper clothing and shelter, all favor 

 the spread of the cholera germ. 



The disease germs attack the epithelial cells of the 

 mucous membrane of the intestines. When the cells 

 have become impaired in their functions or destroyed, 



