SUNSHINE AND LIFE 89 



It may be mentioned in passing that this 

 bacillus has the distinction of being the smallest 

 yet discovered; the influenza bacillus hitherto 

 held the palm in this respect, but it must 

 yield its position to its more successful rival, for 

 Voges states that when magnified about fifteen 

 hundred times it is only just discernible in the 

 microscopic field. 



Even the smoke-laden atmosphere of our great 

 cities, our leaden skies and dreary fogs and mists, 

 may after all, then, if we can only learn to look 

 at them from Dr. Masella's point of view, become 

 a source of benefit and a subject for congratula- 

 tion ; yet our inherent love of light and sunshine 

 would cause us willingly to hand over our murky 

 climate had we but the chance of obtaining in 

 exchange that of any of the sunny cities of the 

 south. Moreover, in the case of tubercular disease 

 experience is daily impressing upon us the wisdom, 

 and indeed necessity, of absorbing as much sun- 

 shine as possible, and hence the pilgrimage which 

 is now recommended to Davos and other resorts 

 where invalids can get the maximum amount of 

 bright sunshine. And not only is this the out- 

 come of practical experience, but De Renzi has 

 shown by actual experiment that sunshine acts 

 beneficially in cases of tuberculosis in animals. 

 Thus, guinea-pigs were infected with tuberculous 



