146 MICROBES AND HEALTH. 



measles,, influenza, etc. Page 104, "Pulmonary diseases 

 and especially some form of consumption are some of 

 the most common sequellse." 



Uric Acid. 



Doctor Mays mentions uric acid as another cause of 

 consumption. Page 105, "It seems that the uric acid 

 diathesis is in some way closely connected with, and is 

 probably indirectly responsible for consumption." 



We have already mentioned uric acid on page 

 137. On page 400 Doctor Mays says: "Among the 

 toxic agents which have the power of engendering pul- 

 monary consumption alcohol stands preeminent." 



Doctor Mays draws his conclusions from a large field 

 of observation, and by means of post mortem examina- 

 tions by himself and many others in different coun- 

 tries. Such evidence cannot be successfully denied. 



Dyspepsia is the mother of consumption. The irri- 

 tation produced by mercury, lead, syphilis and the vari- 

 ous other poisons mentioned all interfere with the 

 higher forms of digestion which are carried on in the 

 circulation. 



In consumption the diseased portion of a lung may 

 become calcified; i. e., lime salts carried by the circula- 

 tion may be gradually deposited. In health the little 

 cells constituting the lung tissues do not absorb lime 

 salts, but in their diseased condition their selective 

 power is weakened or destroyed. The diseased area 

 may become encysted ; i. e., surrounded by a thin mem- 

 brane of connective tissue, as already described, or the 

 connective tissue may send fibrous bands through the 



