222 THE INVISIBLE WOELD 



cover. If discovered, such a remedy would be uni- 

 versal. Except in cases advanced beyond hope, the 

 cure would be complete. 



But even by this means the plague could not be 

 exterminated. So slow and stealthy in its de- 

 velopment, the great majority of cases before 

 known, must scatter the germs for a new crop. 

 Thus it would be the perpetually raising a new 

 crop, and perpetually curing the old. 



Great and good as this result would be, the 

 world would still demand a more exhaustive treat- 

 ment a treatment that shall pluck up the dis- 

 ease, root and branch, and sweep it from the earth. 



Therefore the world is waiting for the discovery 

 of a more perfect remedy a remedy which shall 

 cure the plague by preventing it. Prevention is 

 infinitely the best remedy. On this line bacteri- 

 ologists in many laboratories are searching for a 

 true consumption vaccine a vaccine which shall 

 be to consumption what vaccination now is to 

 smallpox. Three hundred years ago the face of 

 the entire worKLwas pitted. The smooth face was 

 the exception. But since the discovery of the 

 smallpox vaccine by Jenner, there has been a per- 

 fect revolution. The face of the whole world is 

 now smooth. The pitted face is the exception. 

 The discovery of a similar vaccine for consumption 

 would be followed by a similar revolution along 

 this line. When everybody should be vaccinated by 

 such a vaccine, nobody would have consumption. 

 That fell destroyer would be driven out of the world. 



