DUST AND DISEASE

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 397, 4 July 1928, Page 6

DUST AND DISEASE

LECTURES AT VARSITY

PROF. SPERRIN-JOHNSON’S SERIES Continuing his series of public lectures on “Dust and Disease,** at the Auckland University College Hall last evening l , Professor Sperrin-Johnson brought his subject down to the discoveries of the Prench scientist, Louis Pasteur, and of their immense importance to modern bacteriology. The experiments which led up to the conclusion that dust-contaminated liquids caused putrefaction were illustrated by the professor with lantern sUdes, and he showed various kinds of bacilli. I'asteur. a chemist, born in 1822. had discovered what caused the deterioration of the wine, in one of his country’s greatest industries, and in four years had saved millions of pounds for the vinters. llis experiments had led him to the causes of silk-worm mortality, of anthrax. then to a study of vacines and finally to the disease of hydrophobia. The discovery, which bore his name, of killing harmful bacteria by heating a liquid to a little over half-way to boiling point, had been of great value. It was first applied to the wine industry. The professor said that he would deal in his next lecture with some of the theories of 19th century scientists. Before the audience he is carrying out experiments with different solutions of organic substances, some of which have been exposed to dust, and some kept sealed. _________________