io8 BACTERIA IN DAILY LIFE 



virulence possessed by the tubercle bacilli. Some 

 of this tubercle-infected sewage was poured over 

 garden soil in which radishes were growing, and 

 after the bacilli had spent eighty-eight days in 

 these surroundings, during which time they had 

 experienced frost, snow, rain, and sunshine, they 

 still retained their virulence. Of special interest 

 are the investigations Dr. Musehold made to ascer- 

 tain if tubercle bacilli could be detected on the 

 fields attached to a hospital for consumption and 

 irrigated with the sewage from the same. Not 

 only were tubercle bacilli found, but they were 

 also, as was to be expected from the laboratory 

 experiments cited above, discovered in a highly 

 virulent condition. 



That disease germs may be distributed with the 

 vegetables grown on municipal sewage farms is 

 not a mere whim or fancy of the faddist, but ; s a 

 very real danger, and must be regarded as a 

 menace to the health of all who consume such 

 articles as lettuces, radishes, celery, and other 

 vegetables which are not first cooked before being 

 placed on the table. 



This forcibly suggests the desirability of all 

 expectorations from consumptive patients being 

 thoroughly disinfected, or, in other words, deprived 

 of their, virulence before being admitted to sewage. 



The importance of such precautions being taken 



