oa TRANSACTIONS LIVERPOOL BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 
of sickness during the South African War. Enteric in 1870-1 
was responsible for 73,000 cases and 6,900 deaths in the 
German army. From the same disease in the South African 
War we suffered a loss of 57,000 men infected, and over 8,000 
deaths—the equivalent of two brigades. 
“In our wars of the past thirty years, for every one man 
killed by act of the enemy we have had forty hospital admissions 
and lost 4°8 lives from disease; while in the South African 
War, sickness was responsible for a loss of 86,000 men by 
death and by invaliding.”* Mr. Tennant recently stated in the 
House of Commons that, “subject to certain reservations, the 
total number of officers and men, including native Indian 
troops, leaving the Gallipoli Peninsula on account of sickness 
from April 25th to October 20th may be stated as 3,200 officers 
and 75,000 other ranks.” There is no doubt that the majority 
of these cases of sickness were due to infections. 
I will now briefly consider some of the harmful bacteria 
which produce diseases like typhoid, plague, cholera, ete. 
But you may ask what proof is there that the typhoid bacillus 
produces typhoid or that the diphtheria bacillus produces 
diphtheria, and that is a very fair question. | 
Let us take the particular instance of tuberculosis. How 
do we know that tubercle bacillus produces “ consumption ” 
of the lungs? We are certain of it for the following 
reasons. First, a bacillus of the characteristic appearance is 
always found in the lungs of patients suffermg from 
consumption. Secondly, this bacillus can be picked out of 
the lungs, and grown on artificial foods or “media” in 
a bacteriological laboratory. Thirdly, this bacillus when it 
has grown, can be injected into a guinea-pig or rabbit, and 
the animal develops “ consumption ” from which it eventually 
dies. Fourthly, the same characteristic bacillus can be picked 
out from the rabbit, and when grown in media is found to 
* <* Sanitation in War,’ P. S. Lelean. Churchill, London, 1915. 
