Er —————————————— MURD Greatest Enemy, the One-Celled the Detroit Edison company was married. Dr. Robert F. James the University of Michigan. That musty odor is indirectly ¢ responsible for one of the great- est steps in sanitation progress the world has ever taken. It | brought about perfection of a new and economical ultraviolet ray lamp that kills germs instan- taneously but doesn’t bother humans. Its inventors were Doctor James and another fa- mous scientist, Dr. Harvey C. Rentschler. The device, called ‘“‘sterilamp,’”’ has just been an- nounced. The new lamp has already shown its value in trial instal- lations. At Duke hospital in | Durham, N. C., it was placed | over the operating table, imme- diately bringing about a reduc- | tion in post-operation infections. Meat dealers have installed it in their refrigerators with a re- sultant decrease in spoilage. Bakers find it delays formation of mold on their products, and restaurants use it to sterilize their glasses. These | are only a few of its applications. The Fight for Sanitation. Sterlization by ultraviolet radia- tion is a far cry from the battle against micro-organisms waged by eliminating danger of infection from Inventors of the amazing Rent- Right: Dr. Robert F. James, whose ice box had a musty odor, and (below) Dr. | \ R ho operating room, Note ¢ in an bacteria in the atmosphere. Pasteur and Lister, yet it is merely | another chapter in the history of sanitation. For centuries man believed that all diseases could be ‘ascribed to demons’ and millions forfeited their lives to ignorance before Van Leeuwenhoek discovered the tiny organisms responsible for plagues. Pasteur and Lister helped establish the importance of heat in killing bacteria. But even heat has its limitations. It cannot be used to preserve per- ishables like food and meat; fur- thermore extreme heat destroys glasses and dishes. And, most im- | portant, it is limited to small areas | and small surfaces. i Sunlight has a sterilizing action | but its power is comparatively fee- | ble. While it has long been known that sunlight carries some ultra- violet radiation that kills bacteria, it remained for Drs. James and Rentschler to isolate that small por- tion of the ultraviolet spectrum | which is really effective. To use the entire spectrum would be like “killing rabbits with an elephant gun,” in Dr. Rentschler’'s own words. So he set about inventing a meter to measure accurately the amount of invisible radiation of any | selected wave-length being emitted | by his experimental lamps. | Trial and Error. But let's get back to Detroit and Dr. James’ musty refrigerator. Equipped with a knowledge of ul- traviolet rays, the scientist did per- fect a lamp which he placed inside | the refrigerator, resulting in steri- | lization by radiation. The musty smell soon vanished. He knew the lamp would kill bac- teria but he had no way of knowing how much radiation should be gen- erated for any given sterilization job. Too much might be dangerous. It was while coping with this prob- lem that he met Dr. Rentschler, who developed the meter. Working at Bloomfield, N. J., the two men spent five years in experi- mentation. With their meter they tested, tediously and painstakingly, the effect of, various ultraviolet wave-bands upon bacteria and oth- er micro-organisms. Finally they found the right band, a tiny seg- ment of the spectrum which has been mysteriously designated as the “2537 Angstrom unit band.” Then came months of experimentation until a sturdy, inexpensive and low- cost lamp was perfected. Now, aft- er two years’ trial in hospitals, bak- eries, butcher shops and soda foun- tains, the ‘‘sterilamp’’ is ready for expanded use Murder by Ultraviolet. Only a few weeks have elapsed since the Rentschler-James process was explained before a gathering of scientists in New York city. At of magnified and The first pic- paramecia, paramecia was showed normal unaware of the Then the The para- mecia speeded up their scurrying to a frenzy; then began to shiver and tremble. Finally they stopped and began to die work busily, pending doom. were subjected to ultraviolet radia- tion, every paramecium was dead. process works, but let's examine eryday lives. At Duke hospital “‘sterilamps’ that look much like neon tubing. It was found that virtually all bac- teria in the air about the open wound, supply and instruraent ta- bles were killed, while 80 to 90 per E Sp OY CIUM 87 | ¥ i ’ bacteria in far corners room also died Helps the Butcher. Meat dealers have found the lamp Forced to carry from 500 to 1,500 pound meat in his the butch- great spoilage caused by mold the result of combined high refrigeration temperature and humidity Low refrigeration emperatures have similarly unfavorable because too much mois- is evaporated ut with the lamp-—wh gives | ators need only be | r cool to prevent flabb and mold are Kkille mediately. Fresher bread and anteed by bakeries where lamp’ has been tested. Two large firms used the lamp to retard mold gr cakes Before in- stallation, spoilage of the cakes amounted to about 15 per cent, a figure which dropped to 1 or 2 per cent after the lamps were adopted! of the ds of er has in the past suffered been e i ich » heat Caxe is guar- steri- wtih on fruit Although physical limitations have prohibited attempts at sterilization in connection with farm products, progress can be made in this field. What of the Future? Today the lamps are being used regularly by a number of farms, not only in connection with milking, but in hen houses, brooder houses One of the nation's largest poultry farms has adopted Far-sighted scientists have pre- may free us from the worry of bac- terial infection. Obviously the next to the atmosphere itself, a field in which experimentation is already The vast variety of fields in which the lamp eventually may be ap- less. Today one of the best known manufacturers in the country is regularly using the Rent- to irradiate Science, whose Twentieth century gifts to civilization are already le- gion, has hurdled another barrier in its drive to make the world a safe, happy and healthy place to live! © Western Newspaper Union \ and WHY % br would find at least 18 chemical elements, and possibly traces of several others. In addition to oxygen, carbon, hydrogen and nitrogen, the body contains a wide variety of mineral materials, which are necessary to its proper functioning—and even to life itself. The list includes calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sulphur, sodium, chlorine, magne- sium, iron, manganese, iodine and copper. All these substances must be furnished to the growing child —~through food and drink—and generous amounts must also be supplied daily in the diet of adults, to replace the minerals that are constantly being used up. * kx * Minerals Necessary to Life It is vitally important that the home. maker should understand the function of these various salts and where they can be found. For if certain stop beating. Without others, the bones makes the difierence between a healthy person and a sickly one, Laboratory experiments have proved that if you out the the mineral known as manganese, you de. her unfortu leave smallest trace of a mother for but well stroy the love of child. nately And nutritionists not mothers—are of iodine makes all the difference be- * % * Calcium—Captain of Minerals position erals, becaus or body framework skeleton is to what cium is als« of the teeth and teeth rests the heaitl tive system and, 1 tire body. For food erly masticated is i gested and fails to nourish erly. About 99 per cent of the calcium in the body is found in the teeth and bones. If the body does not the steel is 1« the upon of the diges- mineral in pre-natal life and dur- will be porous, distorted and eas- ily broken, and the teeth will de- velop cavities and eventually may fall out. pal material for making maintaining the bones and teeth, calcium increases the strength of injury, your loved ones from bleeding to death. That is why an extra sup- ply of calcium is fed to patients just before an operation. * * * Calcium Builds Will Power There is a close relationship be- tween calcium and sound, healthy nerves, stance likewise helps us to con- centrate mentally-—it strengthens our will power-—and assists us in acquiring that ‘‘do or die" attitude toward life, which is essential in an age when we must all struggle or £0 under. Yet despite its importance, it is estimated by that outstanding au- thority, Henry C. Sherman, Pro- fessor of Nutrition at Teachers College, Columbia University, that one-half of the American people— even those with plenty of money are literally starving for calcium, because they do not know the food sources of this vitally important mineral. * * * Where to Obtain Calcium The foremost sources of calcium are milk and cheese, which is milk in concentrated form. It is chiefly to provide adequate cal cium that homemakers must fol low the rule of a quart of milk daily for every child, and a pint for each adult. Vegetables, such as spinach, let. tuce, celery, asparagus, string beans, cabbage, carrots and cauli- flower are also a good supple mentary source of calcium. And some fruits, such as oranges, figs, strawberries and bananas like- wise supply significant amounts. %* * % Indispensable Phosphorus Like calcium, phosphorus is re- quired by the body in relatively large amounts, and like calcium, it is especially important the diet of children, because it is de- posited in the bones, along with calcium, as calcium phosphate. Phosphorus is indispensable for all the active tissues in the body and plays an important part in regulating the neutrality of the blood. It can be obtained from whole grain cereals, eggs, dried beans, cheese, lean meats, and in % ¥ *% lron—King Pin of Them All But measured in terms of food essen tials, iron is king pin of them oll. It is the supreme element in nutrition for the tion of the hemoglobin or red pigment forme ind it 1s the hemoglobin which carries purifying oxygen to every cell in the body discovered that copper is required for Recently, it has been the proper uulization of iron “Red t derstood by everyone ded’ : strengu health ar . at makes us red bl children grow lose their pep it is likely starving for iron , for this » obtained fr egg yolk, le grain cereals, mo- lasses, dried fruits, dried peas and beans, vegetables wii wttte 1 NUis, * % % lodine—Molder of Men Almost everyone has heard that iodine is the mineral which helps to prevent that disfiguring en- largement of the neck, known as But few people re- alize that it is the principal con- | stituent of thyroxin, secretion of | the thyroid gland, and that the | thyroid functions normally only | when sufficient iodine is available. A wide variety of physiological disorders have been laid to iodine Obesity is frequently the result of thyroid disturbance. Spe- diseases are associated with dis- orders of this gland. Many people | are accused of laziness who are ficiency. And competent authori- ties claim that the thyroid like- wise influences mental make-up and emotional tendencies. Iodine is found chiefly in sea- food and in fruits and vegetables grown near the sea. In inland | regions, where soil and water are frequently add it to the drinking | water. And the use of iodized salt | is also recommended. By these simple measures, thousands of growing children can be saved from the disastrous results of io- dine deficiency. In general, it can be said that if the minerals calcium, phosphorus, | iron and iodine are supplied in| adequate amounts, the other min- | erals will be automatically fur! nished. Breakfast Foods Mass production of popular brands of breakfast foods to meet the demand created by advertising has greatly re- duced the price of many of the advertised brands. The sale of these foods adds materially to the demand and consumption of farm products in the United States. An Invaluable Aid To the Housewife N THIS issue you will find the fourth of the series of arti cles written by C. Houston Goudiss, famous food expert whose books, radio talks and lectures have made him known all over the country. In this article Mr. Goudiss dis cusses the vitally important sub ject, “Mineral Salts.” He shows the ne cessity of these materials in the diet, and their relation to the building of a strong heart, healthy nerves, rich red blood, strong bones and sound teeth, He also gives the food sources of these salts. Read each one of these arti- cles as they appear weekly in this newspaper. They will prove invaluable to the house- wife in assisting her to keep the éntire family mentally and physically fit. But every homemaker should make it her solemn responsibility to provide these four in abundance. For only in that way can you insure optimal growth in children, develop vigorous health in adults, and maintain the highest pos sible tone of every organ in the body. € WNU -C. Houston Goudiss— 1838 A Splendid "Service" for Floors Floors receive rougher treat- ment than any other part of the home—and it is floors that show up to poorest advantage when neglected—best advantage, when properly cared for! Up to now, attractive floors have required some little time and attention, but this is no longer necessary. For into the field of domestic prepara- tions has come “‘self-polishing wax''— liquid-smooth, simple to apply, lovely to see. This remark- able preparation goes on easily, quickly, and dries in 20 minutes! Its results are 4-fold: floors The —they stay freshly-clean longer— self-polishing wax and preserves, by forming ¢ the surface} protects with- wear- to stay dirt and be- anspar- tural what ask , various lishing wax y t best should be used, for both the appearance and condition But the finest self-polishing wax is a joy to use—its lasting results a joy to see! FLOORS POLISH THEMSELVES .. with O-Cedar Self-Polisl No rubbing — simply spread it on and let it dry — then watch your floors sparkle! Non-slippery, long- wearing — eliminates scrubbing — dusting alone keeps floors clean. B I Full qt., only tf aker of the floors POLISH PS « wax Worthy of Respect Bow to him who bows not to the flatterer.—Lavater. LINEAGE LONGER THAN A KING'S! For 80 years, generation after generation of flower and vege- table seeds have been grown and gradually perfected by the unique Ferry-Morse Seed- Breeding Institute. Some have twenty generations behind them —for it takes time to produce prize-winning strains. Each year, before Ferry's Seeds are packeted, the same Institute tests them all for growing ability-—and grows and analyzes each variety for true- ness to type. Only seeds that have passed their tests appear in the famil- iar Ferry's Seeds store display. Choose your seeds there — and be sure of a fine garden this year! bec a packet and up. 1938 NOVELTIES too! Ferry-Morse Seed Co., Detroit, San Francisco.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers