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Gould. -- Happily consumption has almost deserted this town (Revere); there has not been a fatal case for years, -- not since I wrote last upon this subject. Upon your first question I answer, Mrs. W died quite a number of years ago of consumption, between fifty and sixty years of age; her sister died at about the same age, and her brother died, aged sixty-three, of consumption. Mrs. W.'s daughter, M., married, died of pure tuberculosis of left lung, between her fortieth and fiftieth years. Mrs. W.'s son, E., had repeated attacks of haemoptysis, and died after his thirtieth year. Another sister has been in a consumption for more than thirty years, and lives on. Her case is somewhat remarkable. For quite a number of years she has had repeated attacks of haemorrhage, but instead of producing a debilitating effect, it relieves the oppression and soreness of the chest. She has been under my care for more than twenty years; uses no medicine, except an occasional dose of Morphia when the cough is too troublesome, also Tinct. Iodinii, and occasionally blisters, after taking cold. She is married, and over fifty years of age. My care has consisted chiefly in attention to the digestive organs. She has lost one son, aged thirty, by this terrible disease, and has other children fairly candidates for the same affection. The cases I report look very much like hereditary consumption. The taint may continue to affect the offspring of this family, unless stronger and purer blood be mingled with it. But I have, until recently, firmly believed that, unless there was an hereditary predisposition to the disease, neither exposure, manner of living, nor the habits of the individual, pneumonia, bronchitis, nor any other inflammatory affection of the respiratory organs, would have the slightest effect in producing it. But, within a few years, I have been somewhat shaken in this belief. I have met with several cases, and have one under my care, -- a young man of eighteen, who has a good chest and broad shoulders, and who has all the rational and physical signs of confirmed phthisis, and yet there is no family taint. None of his ancestry on either side, nor any collateral branches of the family, ever died of consumption; but the maternal branch of the family were asthmatic. It was apparently brought on by exposure to cold, producing severe capillary bronchitis and engorgement of the lungs.

Rice. -- I know that many cases of pulmonary phthisis in this vicinity can be traced to hereditary descent. Often it is traceable to the second and third generation back.

Wakefield. -- No doubt upon the point, that where the parents (one or both) are affected with tuberculosis, the offsprings are sure to inherit the disease.

Hunt. -- Hereditary predisposition and the scrofulous diathesis cause it.

Call. -- Nearly every case I have seen has had a decided hereditary influence, although every child born of consumptive parents does not die of consumption. Almost every patient dying of consumption has had some near relative die of the disease.

Butler. -- Of its always being traceable to hereditary causes I have some doubt, for I have known of cases where no hereditary predisposition could be traced.

Howe. -- I believe consumption to be hereditary, and, also, the inherited tendency to be the predisposing cause; but I do not believe this cause of itself sufficient to produce a fatal result in nearly all who may have this cause operating in the system from birth. * * * * The tendency may remain dormant during life, unless other conditions favorable to the disease should arise. Second Question.

CAN CONSUMPTION APPARENTLY BE PREVENTED FROM OCCURRING IN CHILDREN, HEREDITARILY PREDISPOSED TO THE MALADY?

The tabular statement is as follows: --

On this question of the ability of the medical profession to do anything to prevent consumption from appearing in children hereditarily liable to it, there is evidently much less certainty on the part of our correspondents than is shown by them on the first question. Fifty-five (26.23 per cent.) are either doubtful, or return no answer. Twenty (9.52 per cent.) return a peremptory "nay," as if they had seen few, if any, cases in which, after all had been done to prevent consumption, complete success had been the result.

Doubtless, all physicians have seen cases similarly suggestive of doubt of their ability to ward off the tremendous influence of blood. Fifteen (7.14 per cent.) think not that it can be absolutely prevented, but that it can be retarded. And finally, one hundred and twenty (57.14 per cent.) declare that they believe that the disease can be, by proper means, prevented in those children who are hereditarily predisposed. What these means may be, we shall, perhaps, get a glimpse of under another question. Meanwhile, let us take courage from the fact that more than half of our correspondents do have some hope of being able, at times, to influence the stern rule of one natural law by pitting against it other of nature's equally powerful influences.