1890.] Presents. 73 



It will be seen that none of the four specimens of sputum exposed 

 to fresh air and light on a dry soil conveyed the disease, but one of 

 the three portions exposed under similar conditions in darkness pro- 

 duced tubercle. 



Of the two exposed in the cottage in Ancoats in the light one 

 produced tubercle, and of the two specimens exposed in the same 

 place, in comparative darkness, one caused tubercle, the other did 

 not. 



Lastly, the specimen placed in the ventilating shaft from a ward in 

 the Consumption Hospital, Bowdon, on a dry soil, conveyed the 

 disease, and the portion removed from it after ten days and exposed 

 to the action of ozonised oxygen did not produce tubercle. 



These experiments are too few in number to justify the statement 

 of positive conclusions, but, so far as they extend, they go to prove 

 that fresh air and light and a dry sandy soil have a distinct in- 

 fluence in arresting the virulence of the tubercle bacillus ; that 

 darkness somewhat interferes with this disinfectant action ; bat that 

 the mere exposure to light in otherwise bad sanitary conditions does 

 not destroy the virus. There are also some indications that the 

 presence of a cotton wool envelope may interfere somewhat with the 

 action for good or evil of both good and bad air respectively. 



Further observations are now being made with sputum exposed by 

 Professor Tyndall at Bel Alp, Switzerland, in light and darkness, 

 each kind for 10 days and 14 days respectively, and compared with 

 the same sputum exposed in the same cottage in Ancoats. 



The pathological results of these specimens have not yet been made 

 out. The results will be given in a future note. 



The Society adjourned over the Christmas Recess to Thursday, 

 January 8th, 1891. 



Presents, December 18, 1890. 

 Transactions. 



Batavia : Koninklijke Natuurkundige Vereeniging. Natuur- 

 kundig Tijdschrift. Deel XLIX. 8vo. Batavia 1890. 



The Society. 

 Bergen: Museum. Aarsberetning. 1889. 8vo. Bergen 1890. 



The Museum. 



Bern: Naturforschende Gesellschaft. Mittheilungen. 1889. 8vo. 



Bern 1890. The Society. 



Birmingham: Philosophical Society. Proceedings. Vol. VII. 



Part 1. 8vo. Birmingham [1890], The Society. 



Chapel Hill : Elisha Mitchell Scientific Society. Journal. 1890. 



Parts 1-2. 8vo. Raleigh (N. Carolina). The Society. 



