94 DUST AND ITS DANGERS. 



him. When the illness is over and we disin- 

 fect the rooms, we aim not to drive out any 

 malign spirit, any mysterious kobold lingering 

 in the air, but we are trying to kill the bacteria 

 or other similar organisms which may have 

 escaped our vigilance during the disease, and 

 in more or less solid form or as floating dust 

 have found lodgment on bedding, furniture, 

 garments, or on walls or hangings. In all the 

 management of the sick room, in all we do for 

 the person of one suffering from an infectious 

 disease, this is the conception which we should 

 cherish as to the source of danger. 



Most likely many will say, in view of what 

 has been set forth in this little book about the 

 transmission of the germ of consumption by 

 floating dust : " Why do we not all catch con- 

 sumption, if, as he says, it is contagious ? We 

 should be very apt to catch small-pox or 

 scarlatina if brought in contact with them. It 

 can't be true that consumption is contagious." 

 To this it may be answered that some of these 

 diseases are much more readily communicated 

 than others are from person to person. Thus 

 scarlet-fever and measles and small-pox are 



