The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1901-1901, 1901-07-17
SACRIFICED TO SCIENCE.
How the Discovery that Yellow Fever
Was Carried BY Mosquitoes
Was Made.

was NaTTleo ny mosquitoes
Was Made.
Within the last few months COM
mission of physicians working in Gu
ba has established the fact that yell
low fever is in all probability trans
mitted only by mosquitoes. An &C.
count of the proceedings of this board
given by Surgeon General Sternberg
in the Popular Science Monthly for
July, is a record of heroic self-sacri-
fee in the cause of science and hui
mainly such as is rarely equaled.
To General Sternberg this side of
the undertaking is merely an incident.
His enthusiasm and interest are for
the scientific results accomplished.
The discoveries in the "etiology of
infectious diseases" as basis for
measures of prophylaxis," are what
he dwells upon, while he makes only
brief mention of the death of DR..
Jesse w. Lazear, who gave up his life
to help prove the mosquito theory.
Or course this is eminently proper
from the scientific standpoint, and is
for the best good of the race. Mean
while, the non-scientific laity may be
allowed to admire the fortitude of the
men who risked their lives in expert.
ments which might lead to better
methods of controlling the fever.
The yellow fever parasite has new
er been found. General Sternberg
was one of the first to search for it
more than twenty years ago. The fail
ure to discover it with the microscope
has never shaken his belief in it's ex-
istence. Therefore, when a commits
sion was sent to Cuba a few
months ago on his recommendation to
study the disease, he urged it's head,
DIR. Reed, to proceed on the germ n.y.
pothesis and to investigate especially
the possibility of the transmission Of
the fever by the mosquito. Expert.
ments on this line made few years
before and APPARENTLY clearing the in
oSSC VI 0u0PASAOA, AC 1O6NA uOu do III
conclusive. It was communicated by
contact, either with the patient or
with his infected clothing. It may
be noted here that the board proved
this belief without foundation. It is
still conducting a search for the fe-
yer germ.
The investigations of the commits
sion were carried on the face of ire
mendous risks. A spy in the enemy's
line faces death, but he has the ex-
citement of his position and the need |
of keeping all his faculties absorbed |
in his work to distract his attention.
The medical investigations in Cuba |
remained in quarantine for long peri
DDS with little to do except to read |
and reflect on the danger to which |
they were to be exposed. Then they
offered themselves to |
that had bitten yellow fe-
yer patients. After the insects had |
fed on them until satisfied the men |
went into quarantine again and wait |
ed-waited for days for the first chill |
and flush that were to announce the |
presence of yellow fever. 1t took |
nerve to do that. The names of most |
of the volunteers are not told. Doubt |
less some Of them were ignorant, in
different and glad to take the risk
for the money offered. But others
were intelligent men-doctors, hos
pital stewards and soldiers. They
were alive to the dangers involved.
but they faced them with a herOism
of higher order than that needed by
a soldier in battle.
Soon after the arrival of the COM
mission in Havana last September,
two of it's members, DIR. James Car
roll and DIR. Lazear, voluntarily sub
mitted themselves to inoculated mos
quitoes. The first had a severe at
tack of the disease, but recovered.
DR.. Lazear died after an illness of six
days. With this preliminary evidence
of the deadliness of the bite of the in
fected mosquito. the commission To-
Gated camp one mile from the town
of Quemados, Cuba, to demonstrate
the fact beyond the possibility of a
doubt; Here ten persons were ex-
posed to the contaminated mosquitoes
and eight contracted the fever, while
none of those not bitten became ILL.,
Meanwhile blood injections taken
from a patient were made in four
healthy persons and three developed
the disease.