120 HOUSEHOLD BACTERIOLOGY 



Perhaps there are other doctors in other towns who 

 would be glad to help the people "to see things." 



Some inquiring minds met difficulties, however, in 

 unexpected places. A student who was "as thirsty 

 after information as ever" was discouraged for the 

 time being by the fact that she had borrowed a micro- 

 scope from a physician who was not recognized by the 

 "regulars." The city bacteriologist who had promised 

 to furnish "microbes" for examination under said mi- 

 croscope refused "because the Board of Health 

 wouldn't like it," if their cultures were used by a 

 physician "who advertised." 



Disinfection needs no further explanation to one 

 who has before her the picture which she describes in 

 this way : "Some years ago while traveling in Mexico 

 we had occasion to pass through a yellow fever dis- 

 trict. Fearing that the disease germs might contam- 

 inate the oranges peddled at the station by the Mex- 

 icans and of which we wished to purchase, a member 

 of the party sterilized the fruit on the outside by dip- 

 ping them in alcohol and burning it off immediately." 

 That yellow fever is transmitted only by the sting of a 

 certain species of mosquito was not then proved. That 

 there may have been other germs on the fruit is not at 

 all unlikely and while the alcohol bath may have been 

 sufficient, the fire was certainly an ingeniously sure 

 method of sterilization. 



A practicing physician among the students says that 

 she "wishes every wife, mother and home-maker could 



