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that it could not be maintained that immunisation alone was
the deciding factor. It is easy to indulge in speculation as
to the explanation of these events, even to underrate the value
of protection given by immunisation, but two facts at any rate
stand out. First, Bert and Mary provided strong evidence
of having been exposed to a virulent dose of Diphtheria by the
demonstration of the bacilli in their throats, and they escaped
even contracting a mild form of the disease. Though William,
aged two, who was not immunised, escaped, at no time was it
possible to demonstrate the presence of any Diphtheria bacilli
in the throat, and immediately after the second exposure he
was given antitoxin. Secondly, only the unimmunised child
died of the disease. If it was possible first to have forecast
this interesting train of events and then to have submitted
these contacts to Schick testing and done virulence tests on the
organisms found, these cases would have been of greater
interest and perhaps some educational value.
The appended plan may serve to clarify the somewhat
complicated story.
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