218 RAVENEL—WARFARE AGAINST TUBERCULOSIS. [April 4, 
have proved disappointing, however, not excepting Koch’s lymph 
or tuberculin, the discovery of which was hailed with delight and 
enthusiasm by physicians and consumptives alike in all parts of the 
world. Recently it has been demonstrated authoritatively that it is 
perfectly possible to produce artificial immunity against tuberculosis 
in animals by a process of vaccination, as such methods are now 
generally termed, and with this demonstration comes the well- 
founded hope that we are within sight of the goal so much hoped 
for, the discovery of a specific serum for the cure and prevention of 
tuberculosis. Indeed, we have already the news that two well- 
known bacteriologists have produced such a substance. While the 
details have not yet been made public, the names of these two men, 
Behring, of Germany, the discoverer of diphtheria antitoxin, and 
Marmorek, of the Pasteur Institute, in Paris, the discoverer of 
streptococcus antitoxin, are of such weight as to justify strong hope 
that they have achieved success. We may feel assured that ig 
progress has been made, to say the least. 
I have not dwelt on the pathetic side of this question—the fearful 
loss of life and suffering entailed by a preventable disease. On this 
point I cannot do better than to quote a short editorial from a 
recent issue of American Medicine (March 28, 1903). While this 
deals with the city of New York, it is equally applicable to every 
city in the United States, the figures only needing modification. 
THE TRAGEDY OF THE HOMELESS AND FRIENDLESS. 
‘¢In the year 1902, in the borough of Manhattan, there died of 
tuberculosis, chiefly in the various hospitals of the city, 1787 
patients. Of these, 950 were ‘‘not known’’ at the addresses 
given; 456 gave no addresses; 275 gave the address of a lodging- 
house, and 106 gave an address outside of the city. It must be 
remembered that these deaths constituted only about one-seventh of 
all the deaths that took place. Moreover, for every death there are, 
according to Dr. Farr, about two years of illness endured. When 
one thinks how much our happiness, even in health, depends upon 
home, and love and friendship, and that in illness and death the 
blessedness of these things is vastly increased, and then when one 
realizes that there are so many thousands of the sick and dying in 
our cities utterly homeless and friendless, the pity of it all becomes 
indeed terrible. The tragedy of obviable disease and needless 
