CONSUMPTION. 159 



Mark the indefiniteness of this last clause. It can be 

 used to legally cloak any measure of oppression ^which 

 the health board may choose to employ. Moreover the 

 ordinance recognizes the contagiousness of consump- 

 tion as an established fact, whereas it is a barefaced as- 

 sumption on the part of the board. The contagious 

 nature of consumption is denied by all the ablest men 

 in the profession. Legislative measures to stamp out 

 consumption are not new, and have always proved in- 

 adequate." 



Another article in the March, 1900, number states: 

 "Regarding the California board of health, dominated 

 by a German physician named Maher, who entertains 

 the delusion that consumption is contagious, it pro- 

 poses that no person suffering from consumption shall 

 be allowed to attend the public schools of Oakland, in 

 the capacity of teacher or scholar. Any employee or 

 pupil under the jurisdiction of the public school de- 

 partment, suspected of having pulmonary tuberculosis, 

 must either leave or submit to a bacteriological exami- 

 nation by the city bacteriologist, whose finding shall be 

 the only evidence(?) required by the board of educa- 

 tion. If consumption were contagious there would be 

 no state of California no Oakland board of health to 

 pass the time making foolish rules. If consumption 

 were contagious the civilized world would long since 

 have been depopulated," etc. 



Thomas J. Mays, already quoted, says in his new 

 book on consumption, page 197-210: "Certain facts 

 have given rise to the deep-seated and prevalent belief 

 that phthisis is a most contagious disease, and that if 



