This
happened some forty years ago when one of my friends was doing his
PhD; for that he had taken up the work of finding capacity of
different known insects as disease spreaders. Commonly we consider
that mosquitoes and housefly are the insects that spread dreaded
diseases like influenza, dengue, malaria etc. While he was collecting
data for the work he accidentally happened to collect some samples of
my hair fallen on the ground as my Barber used to visit my house to
cut my hair in those days. I wondered why he did it but it was an
accidental act on his part but as the investigation proceeded we felt
that it was a god wished act.
Next
day he went to his lab, washed the sample of hair in distilled water,
put the drop on a glass strip they use to observe microorganisms
under the microscope, and began to observe. He found some very
horrible things on the sample and took a back. Immediately he phoned
me and called in the lab. I could not believe what he was talking
about the sample of flock of hair he had collected at my place. What
he had discovered was a new insight for every body because he had
found that my hairs were infested with microbes of as many as seven
contagious diseases. While I was not suffering from any one at that
moment. I really do not remember names of all of them but one I
remember is tuberculosis referred to as TB. This made me think about
the instruments my barber was using. I decided to contact that barber
and told my friend my qualm. Next day, I went to barber’s place,
told him that my friend, whom he also knew, wants to take a few
samples of his instruments, and that evening we reached his home to
take washings of all the instruments. There we took washings of all
the instruments including the towel he uses to cover the body while
cutting hair. There were about six samples in all; two of combs, one
of razor, one of scissors, one of the mirror and one of the towel.
All the samples were put under microscope and found no microbes on
any one sample! This put both of us in a quandary. Some thinking was
required to understand the situation and so we spent time imagining
about various possibilities. That evening I went to my barber’s
place, and inquired about his daily routine. He told me that he
begins his day at about 7:00 am, and goes about visiting places for
work; he returns home by about 1:30 pm, and takes his meal and midday
sleep, gets to work by 3:00 pm, and continues until evening, returns
home by about 7:00 pm. Takes a wash and at that time he cleans his
all instruments with some antiseptic liquid like detol, wipes them
clean dry, that was his routine. There I remembered that when we had
gone to his place he had already cleaned the instruments and also the
towel we took washing was already washed and kept for use for the
next day. This explained the doubt we had and so we told him that we
want to take sample wash once again and that will be immediately as
he reaches home. One final question I asked him before we left his
house, I asked how many heads he does on an average? He told, about
thirty to forty.
Next
day both of us went to his house and waited until late evening but he
did not return; that was a catchy situation and we maintained our
calm and kept on waiting. Finally he came and we finished taking
samples, thanked him, he surreptitiously attempted to find out what
was all that we were doing; I assured him that it is merely an
academic exercise and he need not worry about this things. The
samples of the washing were put to test and my theory came to be
correct. We could detect as many as six microbes on the samples. They
all were dangerous and if could infect any weak person would make him
sick. This clearly shown that this barber is collecting these
microbes from places and people whose hair and shavings he makes
during the day. They remain on the instruments until he cleans them
at the evening by that antiseptic liquid; again next day he collects
new samples of similar disease causing microbes and moves with them
virtually working unwittingly as a carrier of diseases; helping to
spread the disease, and all this without the slightest idea of what
he is causing. On inquiry it was found that at hair cutting saloons,
no washing of instruments is done at the end of the day!
Our
further study on this subject revealed that the number of such
microbes depends upon how many heads and beards he cuts. As this
number increases the possibility of variety of microbes increases.
One
doctor told me on hearing the finding that, if this is the case, a
city barber is more dangerous than a housefly and a mosquito.
Can
we do without a barber? I became all the more baffled but soon found
way out; you know what I did? Well, you may not agree with me for
this suggestion but I really accepted it. I began to cut my hair;
shaving I was already doing as all men do these days. It was a very
comic experience, cutting your hair all by yourself, indeed but about
that we shall chat some other time! I have been doing my haircuts
since then.
To
save your health and particularly health of your children, who are
less immune to such contacts, had better do their hair cutting at
home. I would suggest that we should develop a practice by which
members of the family will do cutting for each other, for example,
wife will do haircut for husband and for children, and sister can do
it for her brothers, brothers can help each other and so we may be
able to avoid going to this hair cutting saloon and save ourselves
from diseases such as aids (this may be spread through razor used to
cut beard and mustaches. A very small drop of the blood of the
patient can cause the spread of this disease to the next person
getting his beard cut! This can happen, for the reason, that while
shaving with a razor microscopic cuts on the skin are unavoidable! I
am afraid a large number of aid cases may be due to barbers!), TB,
common cold, swine flue and many more!
Next
time you visit your choicest barber and on returning if you sneeze be
sure you are in for it! My intentions are not to frighten you but
only caution; BEWARE OF YOUR BARBER!!
You
may contact me on my Email ID given below,
You
are invited to visit my other blogs
Ashok
Kothare,
http://ashokkotharesblog.blogspot.com/
for
stories
I
reckon,
http://kotharesviews.blogspot.com/
for philosophy
You
may visit blog, Ideas
and tips on any subject,
http://kotharay.blogspot.in/
for intelligent discussions.
Freedom
of Expression, http://blogs.siliconindia.com/kothare/
for intelligent discussions.
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