THE PREVENTION OF INFECTIOUS DISEASE. 435 



In Hamburg the transportation of cholera 

 patients from their miserable dwellings to a 

 good hospital at some distance was not borne 

 very well by the patients ; on this account the 

 mortality in the hospitals was greatly in excess 

 of the average mortality. The psychic disad- 

 vantages also are frequently quite considerable 

 and the abolition of humanity by bacteriology 

 seems to me a step backwards. I discovered, 

 and the discovery has subsequently been 

 several times confirmed, that cholera con- 

 valescents, even after they have perfectly re- 

 gained their health, may still harbor cholera 

 germs for weeks ; and according to Rumpel, 

 both during and after an epidemic, completely 

 healthy individuals may harbor such germs ; 

 diphtheria convalescents also may for months 

 carry about diphtheria bacilli, and this may oc- 

 cur too in healthy individuals. On account of 

 these facts compulsory isolation upon the basis 

 of bacteriological findings may lead to the 

 greatest injury. It has been shown by actual 

 examination that it is highly improbable that 

 any considerable number of new contagions 

 follow in the train of those healthy individuals 

 and convalescents in whom bacteria are found. 

 The imprisonment of healthy and convalescent 

 individuals is an inadmissible restriction of 

 personal freedom. 



