﻿214 
  INTRODUCTION 
  TO 
  BOTANY 
  

  

  199. 
  Benefits 
  from 
  use 
  of 
  diphtheria 
  antitoxin. 
  Great 
  bene- 
  

   fits 
  have 
  come 
  to 
  the 
  human 
  race 
  through 
  the 
  discovery 
  of 
  

   diphtheria 
  antitoxin. 
  It 
  was 
  generally 
  introduced 
  in 
  1894. 
  

   A 
  study 
  of 
  the 
  table 
  on 
  page 
  213, 
  containing 
  data 
  for 
  ten 
  \ 
  cars 
  

   before 
  and 
  ten 
  years 
  after 
  the 
  introduction 
  of 
  this 
  remedy, 
  will 
  

   give 
  an 
  idea 
  of 
  the 
  value 
  of 
  this 
  scientific 
  discovery. 
  

  

  200. 
  Tuberculosis 
  : 
  the 
  great 
  white 
  plague. 
  The 
  disease 
  

   commonly 
  known 
  as 
  tuberculosis 
  is 
  so 
  generally 
  distributed 
  

   and 
  so 
  destructive 
  that 
  it 
  has 
  been 
  called 
  " 
  the 
  great 
  white 
  

   plague." 
  Its 
  universal 
  importance 
  demands 
  that 
  a 
  separate 
  

   section 
  be 
  given 
  to 
  a 
  brief 
  statement 
  concerning 
  it. 
  It 
  is 
  the 
  

   most 
  destructive 
  disease 
  that 
  affects 
  tin; 
  human 
  race, 
  and 
  in 
  

   the 
  United 
  States 
  it 
  causes 
  about 
  one 
  ninth 
  of 
  all 
  deaths. 
  

  

  The 
  lungs 
  are 
  the 
  organs 
  most 
  frequently 
  attacked, 
  though 
  

   the 
  bones 
  and 
  joints, 
  the 
  intestines, 
  the 
  throat, 
  the 
  skin, 
  and 
  

   other 
  organs 
  are 
  often 
  infected. 
  The 
  growth 
  of 
  tubercle 
  bacilli 
  

   in 
  the 
  body 
  is 
  usually 
  very 
  slow, 
  and 
  months 
  or 
  years 
  may 
  pass 
  

   before 
  conspicuous 
  consequences 
  follow 
  infection. 
  Further- 
  

   more, 
  the 
  bacilli 
  may 
  live 
  upon 
  a 
  handkerchief, 
  in 
  the 
  floor 
  of 
  

   a 
  house, 
  in 
  a 
  public 
  building, 
  in 
  public-transportation 
  vehicles, 
  

   or 
  in 
  the 
  dirt 
  of 
  the 
  street, 
  for 
  a 
  very 
  long 
  time, 
  and 
  then 
  

   grow 
  when 
  they 
  are 
  introduced 
  into 
  the 
  human 
  body. 
  Some 
  

   of 
  the 
  lower 
  animals 
  (cattle, 
  hogs, 
  and 
  poultry) 
  are 
  subject 
  to 
  

   tuberculosis 
  and 
  may 
  infect 
  human 
  beings. 
  

  

  Infection 
  is 
  usually 
  through 
  the 
  organs 
  of 
  breathing, 
  though 
  

   the 
  germs 
  may 
  be 
  introduced 
  into 
  the 
  digestive 
  system 
  in 
  milk 
  

   and 
  other 
  food. 
  Persons 
  who 
  have 
  tuberculosis 
  mav 
  "expec- 
  

   torate 
  from 
  500,000,000 
  to 
  3,000,000,000 
  tubercle 
  bacilli 
  

   in 
  twenty-four 
  hours." 
  1 
  Also, 
  such 
  persons, 
  while 
  coughing, 
  

   may 
  inject 
  into 
  the 
  air 
  very 
  small 
  droplets 
  which 
  contain 
  

   many 
  bacteria, 
  and 
  these 
  may 
  iloat 
  in 
  the 
  air 
  for 
  a 
  short 
  time. 
  

   Since 
  the 
  dried 
  or 
  partially 
  dried 
  tubercle 
  bacilli 
  may 
  be 
  

   transported 
  by 
  the 
  air, 
  it 
  is 
  evident 
  that 
  every 
  precaution 
  

   should 
  be 
  taken 
  to 
  keep 
  the 
  air 
  from 
  becoming 
  contaminated. 
  

   Furthermore, 
  it 
  is 
  known 
  that 
  when 
  tubercle 
  bacilli 
  are 
  moist, 
  

   1 
  Jordan, 
  E. 
  0., 
  General 
  Bacteriology, 
  1911. 
  

  

  