Modern, well-educated physicians know that many, in fact nearly all the ordinary ailments, are of germ origin. They also know, for instance, that a patient suffering from typhoid, or typhus, or some like disease, is continually reproducing these germs in immense numbers. For a physician with a full beard to lean over the bedside of such a patient is to invite millions of these germs to invade his beard, and wherever he goes he carries these germs with him and spreads the disease. It is bad enough when decent precaution is taken as the hair of the head, the mustache, and even the clothing itself will harbor too many of the bacilli. But to wear a beard is to greatly increase the accommodations for these undesirable lodgers. In this way the health and lives of thousands of people are daily jeopardized. This is why beards should have no place on the faces of physicians, and the more highly educated and more progressive the physicians are the fewer will be the beards found among them. Another thing is a prime requisite in successful practice and this is the most scrupulous cleanliness. This refers 39not only to the person and apparel of the physician, but to the instruments which he handles. Some years ago an Iowa cattleman suffering from a chronic trouble, came to Chicago for treatment which was administered hypodermatically. He made fair progress toward recovery, and finally was in condition to return home where the treatment was continued by his family physician. For a time the reports made by the Iowa doctor were of a glowing nature. Mr. —— was getting along nicely, and the improvement in his condition was nothing short of miraculous. Suddenly word came that there was a change for the worse, and the Chicago specialist was requested to go to Iowa and make an investigation. He did so. On arriving in the town nearest the patient’s home he first called upon the local physician and together they drove out to see Mr. ——. The latter was evidently fast approaching a collapse and the specialist was at a loss to account for the remarkable change. He was assured that his instructions had been closely adhered to, both the patient and the local doctor agreeing upon this point. Finally the specialist said: “Doctor, let me see you administer the hypodermatic part of the treatment.” The local physician took from his overcoat pocket a hypodermic syringe without case or other protection. This he stuck into the bottle of fluid which constituted the treatment, and was about to make the injection when the specialist shouted: “Great heavens, doctor, don’t do that! Let me see that 40syringe a moment.” Holding the syringe up to the light the specialist found it extremely dirty on the inside of the glass barrel, and the needle point covered with lint. Calling the local physician into an adjoining room he said: