ulosis by many physicians. This much is certain that
Scrofula inclines to tuberculosis.

Let us study the several forms of tuberculosis after this general
synopsis; we will begin with pulmonary consumption.

Pulmonary Consumption.

Even before the discovery of the tubercle-bacillus by Koch, different
scientists had claimed that pulmonary consumption was caused by the
immigration of bacteria into the lungs, and several of them had found
bacteria of that kind. But it remained for Koch to bring light upon the
conjectures of other scientists, and he established the fact, that the
bacillus discovered by him was the real generator of pulmonary
consumption. Millions of these bacilli exist in the lungs of the
diseased, and millions of them are thrown out with the sputum.

If we take a very small quantity of this thrown out matter and examine
it with a microscope, we will find a greater or smaller number of these
tubercle bacilli. Of course the preparation to be microscopically
examined must previously be colored with some coloring matter, otherwise
it is very difficult, well nigh impossible, to detect the infinitely
small bacilli. The method of coloring now generally in use consists in
discoloring the preparation after the coloring has been completed, it is
found that the bacilli tenaciously cling to the coloring matter, and in
this way it is easy to recognize the tubercle-bacilli under the
microscope.

These bacilli are infinitely minute, they are 2/1000 to 8/1000
millimeters long, and about 5/100000 millimeters in width. Therefore it
is absolutely impossible to recognize them with the naked eye. Generally
they are somewhat bent, sometimes slightly nicked at one end.

The temperature of boiling water destroys the vitality of the bacilli
under all circumstances. Even a temperature of 70 deg. C. is able to
lessen the efficacy of the bacilli. Unhappily this temperature is too
high to be applied against the tubercle-bacilli in the human body without
causing the most serious injury to it. Nevertheless it has been tried,
we will speak of this later on.

Then the drugs that kill the bacteria, such as Carbolic Acid, Alcohol,
Iodoformether, Ether, Sublimate, Thymol, destroy the tubercle-bacilli so
slowly and only in such high concentrations that their application is
impossible without endangering the patient. Therefore the prospects of
directly destroying the bacilli in the human body had to be given up as
impossible.