CONSUMPTION. 13 



the whole mortality is due to phthisis ; and Dr. de Renzi 

 marvels greatly, in 1863, that the City of Naples is 

 fully as much liable to this disease as either London or 

 Paris, though the salutary condition of the climate 

 should render it far less common. 



"It seems, therefore, if the death-rate from con- 

 sumption was the same in Naples at the time these 

 laws were abolished as it was in other cities in which 

 segregation (isolation) was never practised, that the 

 practical value of such measures was entirely negative." 

 worthless. 



Again, a prominent bacteriologist stated in Detroit 

 recently, "It is usually held that tubercular sputum- 

 dried, pulverized, and floating in the air, is the most 

 important source of infection." Again, "The attempt 

 to affect guinea pigs, animals I would say a hundred 

 times as susceptible to the inoculated germ as man is, 

 by making them breathe air suspensions of dried tuber- 

 cular germs has usually failed, after being tried by 

 many investigators." 



First, he says the dried sputum floating in the air 

 is the most common source of infection. Next he says 

 that guinea pigs cannot be so infected, although they 

 are one hundred times as susceptible as man. He says, 

 "I have never seen a guinea pig with a self acquired 

 tuberculosis." 



All health boards and bacteriologists claim that dried 

 sputum floating through the air is the most common 

 source of tubercular infection. Is it? Flugg says, 

 "As a result of a long series of experiments made by 

 himself and his pupils during the last two years, he con- 



