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From the above table it appears that the source of infection
was probably immediate personal contact in 31 per cent. of
the notified cases, and 25 per cent. of the deaths. When it is
considered that there are no outward signs by which the public
can recognise Phthisis, that it is to the patient's interest to
conceal the disease, and that the greater number of cases go
about for years without medical attendance and are diagnosed
only in the later stages or at death, this percentage of cases
where a definite history of personal contact was made out must
be counted as high. In many of these cases the history indicated
family infection through several generations, as many as four and
five near relatives dying from this disease at intervals of two or
three years. There can be little doubt that thus in numerous
cases, people have infected each other directly or indirectly.
The number of cases with a history of probable or possible
infection by persons not related must always be small, since it
is the cause of death among relatives that in the greater
number of instances furnishes the clue to infection, and this
clue is always wanting when the histories of fellow workmen,
schoolmates, or fellow lodgers in past years are inquired into.
The following histories were obtained with regard to eight
cases which had been in contact with persons suffering from
Phthisis, but which had no history of Phthisis among relatives.