Century-old Bacteria Unearthed in New York Hospital

[woo me with science]

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/health/2011/10/06/century-old-bacteria-unearthed-in-new-york-hospital/
Oct 6, 2011 1:16pm

Century-old Bacteria Unearthed in New York Hospital

ABC News’ Carrie Gann reports:

It was 1897. William McKinley took office as President of the United States. A New York Sun editorial told 8-year-old Virginia O’Hanlon that, yes, there is a Santa Claus. And someone at the Bellevue Hospital Medical College in New York City buried a time capsule full of bacteria in the cornerstone of the building.
....
Blaser and his team found spores of the bacteria, called Clostridium perfringens, inside a small glass vial. These microbes still live in the intestines of modern humans, but don’t usually cause many infections these days, besides some forms of food poisoning. But at the turn of the 20th century, they often caused infections that led to gangrene.
....
The widespread use of antibiotics, beginning with the 1928 discovery of penicillin, has had a lasting impact on lots of bacteria, particularly on their genes. Blaser told the Journal that he and his team will be looking for how these drugs might have affected Clostridium perfringens.

“We’ve had 70 years of antibiotics, so the question is, have there been new changes in the bacterial genome from the time of that organism,” he said....

[LeighAnn]

1. Lots of these old buildings have time capsules in the cornerstones

I type up my town's news from 100+ years ago (almost) every day. Anytime a more-than-modest size building was built, they had a "cornerstone ceremony" and time capsule items were placed therein.

I've always wondered if demolition companies know about this old practice.

[TheMadMonk]

3. Yes they do. The other one to watch for is coins burried in the hearth.

[eShirl]

4. Anyone who's ever seen the beginning of the old cartoon short "One Froggy Evening" knows...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRnX4quv5W4&feature=related

[BeHereNow]

7. Oh Lordy, talk about memories.

My husband had all of the Chuck Jones cartoons on
video when we had our child.
She grew up on them along with Betty Boop and
the other great animators.
She LOVED the video you posted.
She met Chuck Jones when she was 5 at the Hollywood Bowl
at a special concert honoring his career.
He signed a program for her and what a treasure that is-
I just sent her the link you posted- she will love it.
BHN

[Fantastic Anarchist]

2. Rec for this:

" Dr. William Schaffner ..."

From link.

[hobbit709]

5. And when they find DNA changes between the old and new

The creationists will still insist there is no such thing as evolution.

[Lizzie Poppet]

6. Wow, I didn't realize Bloomberg was that old!

Ba-dum...tish!