BACTERIOLOGY IN A NUTSHELL. 
Sources of 
Infection. 
Intubation 
and 
Tracheotomy. 
careful to let the pure air and sunshine have 
free access at all times, and remember the dan¬ 
ger from impure water. Epidemics of cholera 
from that source are not common here. An 
epidemic occurred in Hamburg, Germany, in the 
months of August and September, 1892, when 
nearly nine thousand deaths were reported dur¬ 
ing the two months. The epidemic was believed 
to be due to the infection of the river from 
which that city obtains its water supply. Gipsies 
had camped on the river banks, and., as. they 
had a case of cholera in their midst, the trouble 
was thought to have arisen from that source. 
Diphtheria. The bacillus diphtherise, the 
micro-organism of diphtheria, can be taken into 
the system in food. It may also be communi¬ 
cated from the sick to the well directly from the 
mouth, indirectly through the infected dishes, 
spoons, or other similar articles, or the infection 
may be breathed in. The germs are found in 
the discharges from the nose and throat. The 
nurse must be careful to avoid having the pa¬ 
tient cough in her face, as particles of membrane 
dislodged from the throat are a fruitful source 
of danger, especially so to both physicians and 
nurses during operations on the throat, tracheot¬ 
omy and intubation of the larynx, for the relief 
of patients suffering from this dread disease. 
While the seat of invasion in diphtheria is 
usually the throat, other parts of the body suffer 
also, which is always the state of affairs in se¬ 
vere germ diseases. A common sore throat 
forms a good camping ground for the diphtheria 
bacillus and the deadly work is accomplished 
very rapidly in many instances. Patients some- 
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