THE RELATION OF BACTERIA TO DISEASE 69 



come to pass because it has been found that more per- 

 sons contract disease after having come in contact with 

 persons than with objects from sick-rooms, and for 

 this reason much room and object disinfection has 

 been stopped. The writer still thinks that disinfection 

 of a room should be done before physical cleaning, 

 because of the possible danger to the cleaners of 

 such a room where the virus may lurk in corners and 

 crevices. 



Persons suffering with an infectious disease are, of 

 course, the greatest danger in communication, but 

 other persons may also carry infection. Attendants 

 upon typhoid, diphtheria, or meningitis patients may 

 carry upon the hands or clothing or in the mouth 

 and nose, bacteria of the respective diseases without 

 themselves having the disease, and may be called 

 " passive" or " accidental" carriers. Doctors and nurses 

 too often innocently are in this class. After recovery 

 from the acute attacks of some diseases, notably 

 typhoid, diphtheria, and dysentery, patients frequently 

 carry the germs for indefinite periods; these are called 

 "chronic carriers." Such persons are great menaces 

 and are usually controlled by health authorities when 

 known, but as certain diseases are endemic among us, 

 particularly such conditions as scarlatina, for which 

 the quarantine is very rigid, the number of so-called 

 "hidden carriers" must be very great. 



Bacteria are directly the cause of ptomain poisoning, 

 although the ones concerned may not live within the 

 body. Ptomain poisoning is a violent irritation of the 

 gastro-intestinal tract by certain poisons produced 

 from putrefaction of meat and fish by bacteria. The 



