In the long and colorful history of medical advice, few warnings are quite as awkward as this one: beware the morning kiss.
In 1920, Dr. Lawison Brown of Saranac Lake gave the New York State Medical Society a rather memorable report on tuberculosis and the possible dangers of kissing. His experiment involved a young woman with tuberculosis, a sterile dish, and the question of whether germs could be passed from the lips.
The result, according to the doctor, was that kisses given early in the day carried more germs, while those bestowed in the afternoon or evening were considered “a pretty healthy risk.”
Evening Kisses Less Dangerous For You
Kissing is unsanitary until sunshine and fresh air have sterilized the lips, according to Dr. Lawison Brown, of Saranac Lake, wo told the New York State Medical society at yesterday’s session of its convention that
“it’s a good thing for the human race that courting is done at night and in the late afternoon.”
Speaking on tuberculosis, Dr. Brown described a kissing test made at Saranac to determine whether the disease can be transmitted by contact of the lips.
“We selected a pretty young woman with a bad case of tuberculosis and had her kiss a sterile dish,” said Dr. Brown. “We found the morning kisses gave forth a few germs, but those in the afternoon and evening were a pretty healthy risk.”
Source: The Chattanooga News. Chattanooga, Tenn. March 26, 1920.
