THE CONTAGIOUSNESS OF CONSUMPTION.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3754, 27 July 1883, Page 4

THE CONTAGIOUSNESS OF CONSUMPTION.

Important facts relating to the bacillus tuberculosis and the contagiousness of consumption have just been brought forward by Dr. W. T. Belfiohl, Professor of Pathology iv the Rush Medical College in Ohicngo, In an address delivered before the New YorkCollege of Physicians and Surgeons. The lecture was the third of the Cartwright series ou the relation -if fungi to disease. Dr Bellield combated the criticism which a number of American physicians have passed upon Koch's theory, that bacilli are capable of reproducing tubcrcolosis in man and ther animals. He reviewed the, experiments of Koch, upon avlio. _ correctness of experimentation he admitted that the demonstration rested, and discussed the modifications suggested by Pasteur and others. But while aware of the difiiculty of tho demonstration, he contended that Koch had certainly proved that tubcrcolosis could be induced by inoculation with tuberculous tissue, aud pulmonary tuberculosis by tho inhalation of tuberculous sputum, and that it could be conveyed from man to animals. In reply to the objection that this being the case there could be no freedom from tuberculosis, Dr Beliieldsaid that oucseventh of the human race did contract tuberculosis, but the infection was slow and insidious ; and tuberculosis might be conveyed to a sick but not to an health- l--animal. The lecturer exhibited a mm-" j of magnified photographs to prov •• nov bacilli were not strings of iibri- - c tliii.% crystals, by showing that t 1 -*- 0 °*' *»* aniline color after the rest <-' -* -' retained been decolorized. A tho tissue had