“Certainly.”
“In the name of all that’s absurd, why?”
“Let me answer that by another question. If disease appears in your household, do you want your doctor to conceal it or check it?”
Mr. Clyde took that under advisement. “You mean that this city has been concealing its diseases, and that Dr. Merritt, our new Health Officer, is only making known a condition which has always existed?” he asked presently.
“Haven’t you just told me so?”
“When did I tell you anything of the sort?” The younger man smiled. “That’s five questions in a row,” said he. “Time for an answer. You said that deaths from tuberculosis had increased twenty-five per cent since the new man came in.”
“Well?”
“You’re wrong. Tuberculosis doesn’t increase in sudden leaps. It isn’t an epidemic disease, rising and receding in waves. It’s endemic, a steady current.”
“But look at the figures. Figures don’t lie, do they?”
“Usually, in vital statistics,” was the imperturbable reply. “In this case, probably not. That is, they don’t lie to me. I’m afraid they do to you.” Mr. Clyde looked dubiously at the propounder of this curious suggestion and shook his head.