This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1913 Excerpt: ...procuring chemicals suited to our purpose as in the past. I have long ago concluded that routine fumigation at monthly or other intervals is done chiefly with the desire to please public sentiment, which is not very wisely informed. In other words, fumigation is of no particular usefulness and should not be done unless demanded by a specific condition of known or highly probable infection. Then it is perhaps not of particular usefulness, either, but there is a better excuse for carrying it out. I have long ago come to the belief that routine fumigation is a perfectly useless process in sleeping cars, just as it is commonly held to be useless and unnecessary in other places that we inhabit. I should like to hear expressions of opinion on this subject. We fumigate at monthly intervals all sleeping cars that are operated in the Pullman service. We are quite willing to carry that fumigation out, though it is going to become much more difficult for us under revised processes which we must very soon put into force. While I do not believe it is necessary, we are entirely willing to respond to the public sentiment that demands it or to the regulations of States or the Public Health Service; but if it is not necessary, if it is a wrong procedure, based upon a wrong principle or a wrong intention, why should we continue to delude ourselves with the belief that we are doing something useful to the public health when we are not? Why should we not stand on our belief, if it is the belief of the men assembled here, and say, "We will not require fumigation"? Applause. Dr. Kucker. I think in a measure we have done that, Mr. Chairman. The only place where these regulations require the fumigation of the converances of common carriers is after they have contained or...