268 
Proceedings of Royal Society of Edinburgh. [sess. 
logie, bd. ii. p. 49). This action occurs even when dilute solu- 
tions are injected into the system. The blood contains normally a 
small percentage of potash, but certain limits must not be exceeded, 
or poisonous effects are the results. 
From the above it will be seen that a solution of potassium 
iodate * (which is a germicidal agent of great power) is useless for 
injection purposes. 
VIII. Sugar and Cellulose, two Products formed during 
the Life-History of Bacillus tuberculosis. 
About six years ago M. Pouchet extracted sugar (C 6 H 12 0 6 ) from 
the lungs of phthisical patients. And Dr Freund discovered that 
Bacillus tuberculosis forms cellulose in the organs and blood of 
tuberculous persons. I have also proved the presence of cellulose 
in the sjputa of phthisical patients ( Proc . Roy. Soc. Edin ., vol. xv. 
p. 36). My experiments on this point have been repeated several 
times, and always with the same results. 
1 
IX. The Infectious Nature of Human Sputum. 
There is little doubt that the expectorations of phthisical patients 
are of an infectious nature ; as it has been proved that when sus- 
ceptible animals are fed on tuberculous matter, they become infected 
i 
with the disease. 
I think it accordingly advisable for physicians attending phthisical 
patients to give full instructions for nurses and others to disinfect 
the urine, faeces, and sputa, so that there may be no chance of 
infection. It would not be a difficult task for nurses attending 
consumptives to immerse all handkerchiefs after use in water 
containing carbolic acid. 
s 
X. Bacillus tuberculosis in the Breath of Phthisical 
Patients. 
I have already shown that the saliva of consumptive patients 
often contains the germs of phthisis (Proc. Roy. Soc. Edin ,, vol. xv. 
p. 55). I have also obtained growths in blood-serum, exhibiting 
all the macroscopic and microscopic appearances of tubercle bacillus 
from the breath exhaled by a person in a state of advanced phthisis. 
Already mentioned in this paper. 
