Blood Musk

2005-02-08 - 11:18 p.m.

Tracey told me tonight about a baby fever frenzy in a hospital in historical days, wherein every baby was dying upon birth. It became to the point that women were delivering in the streets and refusing to be drug to the Dr. knowing their infant would most likely die. And then, they discovered that it was because the doctor was working with cadavers, and not washing his hands before he delivered your baby.
I wondered how they discovered this, as they knew nothing of sanitation, really. And I wonder if it was in the vein of thought where the logic was, because he was touching the dead, he gave death through his hands.
Do you wish that people still thought like this? I do for impractical reasons. I know that we are still mystified by plenty: Outer space, and weird things that animals do, and God, and other things. Being mystified is so important I think, but has landed itself a bad reputation, to the point that it's sometimes seen as something that should be abolished.
I'm all for figuring out you should wash your hands after you autopsy somebody, and everything. I'm just saying that sometimes not knowing the how's and why's, is a treasure in your trove.

A picnic in your cove.