FRESH AIR AND EFFICIENCY 279 



up" the individual's resistance. Overcrowding facili- 

 tates the transmission of the disease from man to man, 

 and Captain J. A. Glover, R.A.M.C., and others, 

 have established the fact that the "carrier-rate" of 

 this disease increases with overcrowding. 



The prime importance of ample space and the free 

 ventilation of quarters as a preventive measure against 

 spotted fever is emphasized in a special War Office 

 memorandum. Doubtless when this disease is in 

 evidence, and the carrier-rate is high, the beds should 

 be kept at least 2-J- feet apart (involving a maximum 

 of twenty-four men to the standard hut of 60 feet 

 x 20 feet), and the freest possible ventilation should 

 be provided. 



It is interesting in this connection to note that the 

 men in bell-tents, in which they are much more 

 crowded than in huts, show no increased incidence 

 of attack; indeed, although on the average the men 

 in such tents have less than half of the mobilization 

 scale of floor area in huts, the incidence of spotted 

 fever, as also the carrier-rate, are generally lower with 

 them. In my opinion this case is best explained by 

 the fact that the air in the tents is relatively cooler. 



There can be no doubt that a main factor determin- 

 ing the prevalence of consumption is foul air. The 

 evidence as to this is overwhelming, and admits of no 

 questioning, and the good results of the open-air 

 treatment of the disease afford some corroborative 

 testimony to this. The results obtained from the 

 treatment of many other forms of disease (including 

 infectious disease) on similar open-air lines is also 

 very striking. 



Seventy-five years ago Dr. Bodington treated his 

 consumptive patients upon "open-air" lines. But 

 even one hundred and fifty years ago Lind, a distin- 

 guished naval surgeon, advocated the best "open- 



