ications of the
earlier stages of the malady before the beginning of my reign, when I
observed that many young girls, who at first seemed to suffer only from
debility and lowness of spirits, soon afterwards withered, and died of
what was then called by a term answering to your expression of "rapid
consumption." This often happened where the patients had been previously
pronounced free from organic disease.

I knew that, in the physical as in the moral constitution, evils,
however grave, have their origin in some incipient germ of small
proportions, and I would not believe that the confirmed ulcers, which I
had seen during the examination of diseased lungs in the Theatre of
Anatomy, had arisen suddenly, for I reflected that the operations of
nature are gradual. These ulcers, which are, I think, called "tubercles"
by your physicians, had been the immediate cause of many deaths.

After much meditation, I concluded that the actual beginning of the
malady was unknown, and that the inability of the doctors to master the
disease arose from the inadequacy of the means employed for its earlier
detection.

I had frequently expressed my convictions to the ablest medical men, but
they held to their opinions and practice with unyielding tenacity. Our
doctors at that time thought that there was no science beyond what they
themselves knew, just as there were many able men who maintained that
there was no other world but Montalluyah, until the invention of my
telescope brought your earth and other worlds within the limit of their
vision.

A young and interesting girl, a penitent, from a course of incontinence
and excess, suffered much from weakness and lowness of spirits. The
doctors examined her in the usual approved way, with and without their
instruments, and declared that her lungs were healthy and sound; all
that now ailed her, they said, was the depression arising from
involuntary regrets and longings for the excitements of her former life.
I had a strong impression, however, that this was not the cause of her
prostration, firmly believing that her lungs were affected, though the
doctors assured me that they had used every test with scrupulous care to
detect disease and had arrived at a contrary decision. Not being
convinced, I requested them to give me a daily report of the girl's
progress.

As she grew weaker, the doctors determined to administer a powerful
potion, which would lay the foundation of her cure, if their es