§ 35. Mr. R. Gibsonasked the Postmaster-General whether experiments have been made by officials of his Department for the purpose of discovering whether or not tubercle germs are present in the mouthpieces of telephones in public kiosks which are, and are not, cleaned every morning, respectively, by an attendant; and, if so, with what results?
§ Major TryonInvestigations of the kind in question have been repeatedly undertaken in this country and in the United States by independent bacteriologists at the instance of public health and other authorities. They are unanimous in concluding that the risk of tubercular infection from the use of the telephone is negligible. This conclusion was verified by the Post Office Medical Department by means of separate research.
§ Mr. GibsonWhat was the date of the last of these experiments?
§ Major TryonOur own investigations have been quite recent, but the investigations both in the United States and here extend back over many years.
§ Mr. GibsonDo the experiments show that there are live bacteria present in the mouthpiece of the telephone?
§ Major TryonI am told that the laboratory experiments at sanatoria confirm the opinion given by the medical authorities.
§ Captain McEwenIs it the live bacteria that really cause that buzzing sound occasionally heard?