March 21, 1919] 



SCIENCE 



291 



recent handling of the article by others. Con- 

 tact with papers, pencils, etc., handled re- 

 motely by others have not been included. 



Another point that stands forth is that our 

 hands are dangerous to others only in propor- 

 tion to the frequency with which we infect 

 them with our mouth and nose. The present 

 experience shows seven hand-to-nose contacts 

 and but two direct hand-to-mouth contacts. 

 The handkerchief thus looms up as a factor of 

 importance. Through it we may infect our 

 hands from our nose, which is dangerous to 

 others, and also infect our nose with our hands 

 ■which is dangerous to ourselves. 



Several lessons of practical value suggest 

 themselves from the above related experience. 

 They are: 



I. That we should use handkerchiefs one 

 side of which is conspicuously colored or 

 marked so that we may always apply the 

 hands to one side reserving the other side 

 for the nose. This will protect our own nose 

 from our hands and help to prevent the in- 

 fection of our hands. 



II. That we should abandon the universal 

 practise of shaking hands, substituting some 

 other less intimate method of salutation. 



III. That we should encourage means which 

 will lessen the opportunity for public res- 

 taurant employees to handle eating utensils. 



George T. Palmer, 

 Captain, Sanitary Corps, V. 8. A. 



A PRELIMINARY NOTE ON A BACTERIAL DIS- 

 EASE OF FOXTAIL 



During the month of September and up until 

 the middle of November, 1918, a striking dis- 

 ease on foxtail (Setaria glauca (L.) Beauv.) 

 was noticeable around Fayetteville, Ark. The 

 disease was rather widespread in this vicinity 

 and it is quite probable that it is prevalent 

 throughout the state of Arkansas at least. 

 The disease manifests itself as dark brown 

 spots and streaks, varying in size from small, 

 oval or roundish spots, 1-2 mm. in diameter, 

 to elongated streaks, 2-3 cm. in length. The 

 attacked areas are to be found on leaves, flow- 

 ering stalks and glumes. The pathogen, a 

 white, rod-shaped bacterium was isolated and 



obtained in pure culture. It was inoculated 

 on healthy leaves by using a sterile, platinum 

 needle and smearing the organism on the leaf. 

 Within three to four days inoculated spots 

 showed the characteristic browning of the 

 tissue. The organism was then reisolated and 

 obtained in pure culture from the inoculated 

 spots. 



Both by spraying and by needle smears this 

 organism was successfully inoculated on wheat, 

 oats, rye, barley, com and Sudan grass; it was 

 reisolated and obtained in pure culture from 

 each of the above-named hosts. Infections 

 were also obtained on sorghum and millet but 

 no reisolations have been obtained from these 

 up to the time of Tiriting.^ Judging from the 

 appearance of infected plants in the green- 

 house all the cereals mentioned, except corn 

 and the various grasses of the Sorghum group, 

 are quite seriously attacked. The effect on 

 oats is not unlike the halo blight recently de- 

 scribed by Miss Elliott^ and it is likely that 

 the organisms under discussion is the same as 

 Mann's^ Pseudomonas avence. However, the 

 identity of the organism is still in doubt and 

 the work is being continued. 



H. H. Rosen 



Agsicdltubal Expeeiment Station, 

 XJniveksitt of Abkansas 



THE AMERICAN METRIC ASSOCIATION 



The following is a summary of the proceedings 

 of the second annual meeting of the American 

 Metric Association (156 Fifth Avenue, New York 

 City), held in Baltimore on December 27 and in 

 Washington on December 28. 



Mr. David A. Molitor, consulting engineer, out- 

 lined his work for the C. E. Schmidt Co., of De- 

 troit, tanners. He found that about 500 different 

 commodities were being purchased for the use of 

 this company and that they were received in many 

 different units of weight and measure. It became 

 clear that economy would be effected by entering 

 the weight or measure of all material received in 



1 Since this article was written the organism has 

 also been reisolated from these hosts. 



2 Elliott, C, "Bacterial Oat Blight," Phyto- 

 path. 8: 489, 1918. 



3 Manns, T. P., "The Blade Blight of Oats," 

 Ohio Agri. Exp. Sta. Bui. 210, 1909. 



