The Washington times., 1902-08-11
Marine Hospital Surgeons
Believe Cause IS
Found.
AWAITING FURTHER TESTS
Unwilling to Make Positive Announce
ment While Any Question Remains
General Wyman Expresses Regret at
Premature An9ouncement.

1t is expected that Surg. Gen. Walter
Wyman, head of the Marine Hospital
Service, will very soon disclose to the
world one of the most important medi-
cal discoveries of the age by announc-
ing that the cause of yellow fever has
been ascertained
Just a glimpse of what the yellow
fever institute of the Marine Hospital
Service, organized about a year ago, is
doing was afforded by recent cable
from Havana, which said that the work
ing party of the institute, located in
Vera Cruz. Mexico, had discovered the
cause of the disease, and that the Gu
ban government had requested the Unit
ed States to furnish it with particulars
of the discovery
Surgeon General Wyman expressed
great regret than any premature an
nouncement had been made. He made
no denial of the inference conveyed in
the dispatch that the American doctors
in Vera Cruz believed they made dis
coveries of great Importance. but he
said 1t would be better to wait and test
the accuracy of any new discovery in
medical research than to give TO the
world statement of facts which had
not been thoroughly tested and which
might result in a misleading contro-
yersy.
Means to Be Certain.
1t is evident that the Surgeon Cen
eral is determined that any official
statement regarding the discovery of the
cause of yellow fever shall be incontro-
vertible before he will consent to any
official publication. 1t is also evident
from his manner that he believes the
cause of the scourge which has baflsd
science for SO long, has probably been
ascertained beyond controversy, and is
only awaiting the weight of additional
investigation.
In the near future. therefore, news
may come from the little party in
Vera Cruz which will be a great boon
TO mankind and awaken the liveliest
interest throughout the world.
The yellow fever institute of the
Marine Hospital Service has been going
on the theory that ii is possible, by
means of the microscope and the most
approved meteorological methods. to as
certain the organism which is the cause
of yellow fever. The generally accept
ed theory has been that yellow fever is
ultra microscopic. Sanarelli discovered
bacillus ichteroides which he asserted
was the yellow fever germ. The dis
coverer was vanqushed after a spirited
controversy by DR.. Sternberg, former
Surgeon General of the army.
Carried by Mosquito.
most heroic and remarkable inves-
tigation of yellow fever, covering an
effort to ascertain its cause. as well as
the means by which it is introduced
and methods for its prevention. was
conducted during the American occu-
patton of Cuba by DR.. Walter Reed, sur
geon, and Drs. Carroll and Agramonte.
assistant surgeons of the army. These
surgeons established that yellow fever
was transmitted to the nori-immune by
means of the bite of the mosquito that
had previously fed On the blood of those
i'll with the diseare. They also demon
strated that a house could be said to
be infected with yellow fever only when
lleTt NNIt pfsStnl hllDlu It's WILLIE
contaminated mosquitoes capable OF
conveying the parasite or germ of this
disease.
The surgeons also took the position.
after the most exhaustive experiments.
that yellow fever WAS not conveyed by
articles Of clothing. bedding or mer
chandise which had come in contact
with those Ill with yellow fever. and
therefore disinfection was not Deces-
sary. They were compelled 10 report
an utter failure of their efforts to de-
ternine the specific cause of the dis
ease. but unhcsitatingly stated that the
bacillus ichteroides OF Sanarelli stood
in no causative relation TO the dis
ease.
The main purpose IN organizing the |
yellow fever institute was to arrive, II |
possible, at the cause of yellow feTer-
TO determine the nature OF the germ |
which caused IT, II this could be dis
covered IL was plain that medical sci |
ence and sanitation together might re- !
suit in the entire eradication of this /
dreadful scourge. II was really an or |
canized research in the domain OF the |
disease, and was 10 include every avail !
able fact as TO its history, as vel. as
methods of communication, but the main
fact was to locate the yellow fever |
germ or parasite.
Personnel of Institute.
DR.. Walter Wyrian is the heaG of the
institute, Passed Assistant Surgeon II.
d. Geddings is the secretary. The sec
tion devoted to history and statistics
has as its chairman Surgeon II. p.
Vaughn: that on etiology, Passed Assist
ant Surgeon j. VI. Resnau; transmits
sion. Surgeon J. II. White; quarantine
and treatment, Surgeon r. NJ. Wood
ward Among members Of the institute
are some of the most distinguished ply
sicians OF the United States. France. |.
Germany, Mexico. Italy, Canada, and
the South American countries.
DOCTOR SEIZED WITH SMALLPOX.