Can’t get disease and infection out of your mind these days? That’s what I thought. When looking through one of my books titled General Hygiene, I stumbled upon this little gem about the bacteria that naturally grows in our bodies. Like we didn’t have enough to worry about.
1913: Bacteria in the Body
Many kinds of bacteria which produce offensive decay are always growing on the skin. In the mouth bits of food, dead skin, and the moisture of saliva form a good soil in which many kinds of bacteria flourish, causing decay and a bad smelling breath. Bacteria are the cause of decay in teeth. They grow in the dead scales of a dirty skin, and cause the bad odors of an unwashed body. They grow abundantly in the intestine, and are the cause of many forms of indigestion.
A few kinds of bacteria may grow in living flesh. These are the causes of most kinds of infectious diseases. . . among those of which bacteria have been proven to be the cause are diphtheria, typhoid fever, tuberculosis, grippe, pneumonia, lockjaw, erysipelas, and most kinds of tonsillitis, colds, and sore throats. Pimples, boils, and all other kinds of sores which give off a creamy matter are often called blood-poisoning, but they are all caused by bacteria growing in the
flesh.
Source: Overton, Frank. General Hygiene. New York: American Book Company, 1913.
~ pp. 41-42 ~