The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1901-05-01

stated that he was compelled to assert
his belief that Sanarelli's germs were
NOT the yellow fever bacteria.
Proceeding to tho main subject of
his lecture, Gen. Stcrnbcrg stated that
it had been definitely proven that ma
lar'al fever is transmitted ~ nosiui-
toes. The germ Of that disease has
been identified by miscroscropy, he
said, and had been found in the blood
OF healthy person after lie had been
bitten by a mosquito which had been
permitted to feed upon the blood Of
person suffering from the disease.
Dr.. Finley, Of IIabana, said Gen.
Stcrnbcrg, was the first to suggest,
some fifteen years ago, that yellow
fever was transmitted by mosquitoes.
DIR. Finlcy's experiments had been by
nv mcans conirmatory Of th;, theory,
however. The profession did not ac-
ccpt his view. and it gained no sup
portcrs until last year, when board
of yellow fever experts had been sent
to Cuba under the direction of the
surgeon generals Office to investigate
this theory Of transmission. The
first experiments were made by Drs.
Reed, Jesse II. Lazcar, and Carroll.
They first isolated themselves for
longer period than that of incubation
OF yellow fcvcr-thrcc to five days
and then inoculatcd themselves by
permitting mosquitoes which had filled
themselves with the blood Of infected
persons, to bite them. DR.. Reed and
DR.. Carroll developed yellow fever,
but DR.. Lazear did not
The latter then entered dead
house, whore were the bodies of per
sons who had died Of yellow fever.
While there he observed a mosquito
upon his hand, aud thinking he would
surely become inoculatcd if he per-
mittcd the insect to bite him, he did
50, developed the disease, and died.
"lle fell martyr to his zeal for his
profession, said Gen. Sternberg. The
othcrs-Carroli and Recd-had severe
attacks Of the disease, but recovered.
Satisfied that they were upon the right
track, these physicians then made
elaborate preparations for an extended
experiment. Gov. Gen. Wood sup
piled tho funds from the revenues of
the island as matter OF vital interest
to its Inhabitants, and an experiment
station was erected at sufficient dis
tance from Habana to insure the sub.
jects Of the experiment from contagion
by other means than that proposed.
Volunteers were secured from the
army and from the ranks Of newly
arrived emigrants from Spain, who
| took the view that they would surely
have yellow fever anyhow in Cuba,
and that it would be better to have it
where they would be we'll cared for
and receive considerable money
bonus, as each of the volunteers for
this experiment did receive.
The result of the experiments was
entirely satisfactory, said Gen. Stern
berg, and extremely positive. The
scores of people at the experiment
station were kept isolated there for
several days over the extreme incuba-
tion period Of yellow fever, and we're
then inoculated by the bite of mos
quitoes which had been infected as in
the other cases. Over 80 per cent. of
the volunteers had real yellow fever.
Fortunately none died. Gen. Stern
belg Eaid, in this connection, that DR..
Reeds experiments were successful
and DR.. Finley unsucc essful, because
tho former took the mosquito Just
after it had fed on the blood of an
infected person and permitted it to
bite person not otinfected. There was
no inoculation resultant. DR.. Reed
had kept the infected mosquitoes for
II or II days after they had bitten
the persons suffering from the disease,
and discovered that this was necessary
to obtain positive results. He belicv-
ed that the germs multiplied in the
mosquitoes body and found their way
into all its parts, including the sali-
vary glands, through which they dis
tributed the infection. From the ex-
periments in tho tran smission of ma.
laria by mosquitoes, DR.. Reed took his
cue about keeping infected mosoui-
toes.
1t was determined furthermore, said
Gen. Sternberg, that the bite of a
newly infected mosquito oneithe. causes
infection nor makes the person bitten
immune, as was supposed by some.