IMMUNITY FROM CONTAGIOUS DISEASES. 
309 
discussion or controversy. In the course of a long series of 
original investigations, in which very important facts were dis¬ 
covered, I was brought face to face with this question of immu¬ 
nity, and, in order to continue the investigations intelligently, it 
became necessary to have a working hypothesis which explained 
and connected the facts so far as known. The theory of immu¬ 
nity in question was the result of that necessity. It was a sincere 
endeavor to get at the truth with the facts at hand, and I only 
desire that it shall stand or fall on its merits. The tendency of 
working scientists has certainly been very favorable to it; no facts 
have been brought forward through more recent researches which 
oppose it, while many strongly confirm it. It does not appear to 
be so fortunate, however, when it comes in contact with the argu¬ 
ments of those who discard the facts bearing most directly, on 
the subject, and reason from questionable premises and compari¬ 
sons of doubtful application. A notable example of this may be 
seen in the article of Dr. J. Romaine Curtiss which appears in 
the issue of the Journal for July 18th. 
Dr. Curtiss scores his first point by reversing the terms of my 
theory—a rather remarkable piece of carelessness when we find 
him stating it correctly in a quotation from Dr. Eccles, only a few 
sentences farther on: “The oxygen theory of Dr. Salmon,” he 
says, “ is too narrow a conception for the occasion, and there are 
no verifications to sustain it. Who can imagine that tubercle 
bacilli in the lungs can consume the oxygen inhaled so rapidly 
that there is not a sufficient supply for the lungs ? The inhalation 
of oxygen is found to do harm in consumption as well as many 
other diseases. If Dr. Salmon’s hypothesis is true, the inhalation 
of oxygen ought not only to cure, but prevent all diseases of 
zymotic origin.” Skipping only one sentence, we come to Dr. 
Eccles’ very clear statement of my theory in these words: “The 
poison of the microbes intoxicates the cells. Retarded function 
(of the cells) allows oxygen to increase in the circulation, thus 
facilitating their gaining a foothold. Recovery is due to the 
ability of the cells to resist the poison, use up their own oxygen, 
and so asphyxiate the microbes.” 
That is to say, of these two contending parties it is not the 
