TUBERCLE BACILLUS 



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cases, is not that of the disease itself, but that of a 

 tendency or increased susceptibility to the disease. 



2. It has brought about an immense improvement 

 in the early and accurate diagnosis of all cases. 

 The bacillus found in the sputa, or in the dis- 

 charges, or in a particle of tissue, is evidence that 

 the case is tuberculous. 



3. It has given evidence, which till 1901 was 

 hardly called in question, that tabes mesenterica, a 

 tuberculous disease which kills thousands of children 

 every year, is due in many cases to infection from 

 the milk of tuberculous cows. In England alone, in 

 1895, the number of children who died of this disease 

 was 7389, of whom 3855 were under one year old. 



4. It has proved, and has taught everybody to see 

 the proof, that the sputa of phthisical patients are 

 the chief cause of the dissemination of the disease. 

 By insisting on this fact, it has profoundly influenced 

 the nursing and the home-care of phthisical patients ; 

 and it has begun to influence public opinion in 

 favour of some sort of notification of the disease, 

 and in favour of enforcing a law against spitting in 

 public places and conveyances. In some of the 

 principal cities of the United States, laws on this 

 subject have already been enacted. 



5. It has greatly helped to bring about the 

 present rigorous control of the meat and milk 

 trades. The following paragraph, taken almost at 

 random, will suffice here : — 



" Bacteriological examinations during the past 

 year have shown that more milks are tuberculosis- 



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