St. Tammany farmer., 1905-09-23

"a
In June, July and August. 1900, ths
commission gave their entire attention
to the meteorological study Of til.
blood OF yellow fever patients and the
postmortem examination OF the organ:
OF those dying of the disease In 2.
cases where the blood was repeatedly
examined. as well as in il carefully
studied autopsies, bacillus iceteroid:
were not discovered, nor was there anJ
indication OF the presence In the bloof
Of specific cause Of the disease.
Application was made to Gen. Leon.
ard Wood, the military governor q
Cuba. for permission to conduct exper
iments on nonimmune persons, and
liberal sum Of money requested fol
the purpose OF rewarding volunteers
who would submit themselves to ex.
periments.
Story Of the Great Guest.
Money and full authority to proceed
were promptly granted. and to thu
everlasting glory of the American sol.
der volunteers from the army offered
themselves for experiment in plenty
with the utmost fearlessness.
Before the arrangements were en-
tirely completed Dr. Carroll, member
Of the commission. allowed himself te
be bitten by mosquito that u days
previously had filled itself with the
blood of a yellow fever patient. He
suffered from very severe attack and
his was the first experimental case
DR. Lazear also experimental on him
self at the same time, but was not IN
fected. Some days later, while IN the
yellow fever ward he was bitten By g
mosquito and noted the fact carefully
He acquired the. disease in its most
terrible form and died a martyr to sci
ence and true hero.
No other fatality occurred among the
brave men who in the course Of the ex-
periments willingly exposed them
selves to the infection Of the dreaded
disease
"A camp was especially constructed
for the experiments about four miles
from Havana. christened Camp Lazea1
in honor of the dead comrade. The in
mates Of the camp were put Into most
rigid quarantine and ample time was
allowed to eliminate any possibility Of
the disease being brought from Ha-
vana.
The personnel consisted OF three
nurses and nine noninmunes, all "a
the military service, and included two
physicians. as
From time 70 time Spanish immi-
grants, newly arrived, were brought
In from the immigrant station; g per
son not known to be immune was not
allowed to leave camp, or II he did was
forbidden to return. .
The most complete record was kept
OF the health OF every man 90 be ex-
perimented upon, thus eliminating the
possibility OF any other disease than
yellow fever compIicating the case.
What the Experiments Proved.
Besides the experimental cases
caused by mosquito bites, four nonfm-
munes were infected by injecting blood
drawn directly from the veins Of vel
low fever patients IN the drst TWO DAYS
OF the disease, thus demonstrating the
presence of an infectious agent n the
blood at This early period of the at
tack.
Even the blood serum Of patient
passed through q bacteria-proof dlser,
was found to be capable Of causing vel
low fever III another person.
The details Of the experiments are
most interesting. but It must here suf-
flee to briefly sum Up the principal con-
clusions Of this admirable boards Of In
yestigators o. which Reed was the mas
ter mind:
The specific agent "a the causa-
ton Of yellow fever exists II the blood
of patient for the drst three days
Of his attack, after which time be
ceases to be nlenaee 70 the health
or others
8 = mosquito ~ y single specles