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means to prevent further septic infection, combined 

 with the avoidance of any lowering systemic measures, 

 result in a speedy cure, before there has been any ma- 

 terial invasion of the general blood stream. A butcher, 

 with vital powers lowered by steady alcoholism, nicks 

 his hand, and inoculates himself with bacteria from a 

 piece of meat which has been probably several times in 

 and out of the ice chamber. A diffuse septic cellulitis 

 of the whole hand and arm is soon the result ; he comes 

 to hospital, and after weeks of the most careful treat- 

 ment is lucky if he retains a serviceable limb. A 

 surgeon, fatigued by late hours, hard work, and mental 

 worries, makes a post viorteni examination of a virulent 

 septic case, absorbs a few germs through a crack in his 

 skin or a slight flaw in the corner of his finger nail, and 

 is fortunate if he has time to make his will before he 

 is measured for his coffin. Or a benevolent publican's 

 wife, filled with the profoundest pity for the wives and 

 children of her husband's frozen out customers of the 

 labouring class, buys meat and vegetables of the 

 soundest quality and proceeds to manufacture a 

 copperful of realh^ good and sustaining soup to be 

 given away during the next few days. The recipients 

 of the first instalment of the bounty spread the 

 welcome news abroad, and are followed the next day 

 by others wishful to join in all the good luck that is 

 going. But while the first relay has nothing but 

 gratitude to express, those who come later cannot say 

 that "good digestion has waited upon appetite," for a 

 few hours after emptying their pannikins they are one 

 and all seized with unmistakeable symptoms of acute 

 septic enteritis; the medical men of the immediate 

 neighbourhood are occupied day and night; and the 

 press afterwards records the fact that out of about a 

 hundred sufferers twenty or thirty have already 

 succumbed, and that the illness of the rest varies 

 from the slightest possible degree up to a condition 

 where life actually hangs in the balance. An expert 



