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Show STAMP LICKING Is Found HARMLESS as Breathing THE common habit of licking postage stamps has frequently given rise to a question as to the danger of Infection from such a procedure. There is a great degree of reassurance in the fact that with the widespread practice there have been practically prac-tically no reported Instances of infection from this course. Drs. Kellty and McMas-ter McMas-ter of London report some laboratory . studies on the normal germ Inhabitants of postage stamps with a view to determining their nature and the possibilities of the existence ex-istence of disease organisms. While practically prac-tically all of the stamps gave rise to bacterial bac-terial cultures, disease organisms were not found save possibly in two instances. Hence, asserts a medical authority, it is safe to say that their results did not reveal the presence of any bacteria hazardous to human beings. Under most favorable conditions It not beyond the bounds of Imagination to conceive of the conveyance of disease types such as those causing diphtheria and tuberculosis. tuber-culosis. The mere presence of micro-organ-. isms is not alarming. Living in the midst of rich bacterial flora, individuals are constantly con-stantly exposed to far more Important sources of contagion thnn stamps. On the other hand, stamp licking possesses no advantage, ad-vantage, save possibly the slight food value which may exist for one whose duties require re-quire him to place thousands of stamps npon envelops. |