River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1905-08-31

was one widely disseminated in the
United States, and bore no such rela-
ton to yellow fever.
In June, July and August, 1900, the
commission gave their entire attention
to the meteorological study of the
blood of yellow fever patients and the
postmortem examination of the organs
of those dying of the disease. In "a
cases where the blood was repeatedly
examined. as well as in IL carefully
studied autopsies, bacillus iceterOids
were not discovered, nor was there any
indication of the presence in the blood
of a specific cause of the disease.
Application was made to Gen. Leon
ard Wood, the military governor of
Cuba. for permission to conduct exper-
iments on nonimmune persons, and a
liberal sum of money requested for
the purpose Of rewarding volunteers
who would submit themselves to ex-
periments.
Story Of the Great Quest.
Money and full authority to proceed
were promptly granted, and to the
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, a member
of the commission, allowed himself to
be bitten by a mosquito that IL 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.
DIR. 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
mosquito and noted the fact carefully.
He acquired the disease in its most
terrible form and died 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 Lazear
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 nonimmunes, all In
the military service, and included two
physicians.
From time 10 time Spanish immi-
grants, newly arrived, were brought
In from the immigrant station; per-
son not known to be immune was not
allowed to leave camp, or if he did was
forbidden to return.
The most complete record was kept
of the health OF every man to be ex-
perimented upon, thus eliminating the
possibility Of any other disease than
yellow fever complicating the case.
What the Experiments Proved.
Besides the experimental cases
caused by mosquito bites. four nonim-
munes were infected by injecting blood
drawn directly from the veins OF yell
low fever patients in the first two days
of the disease, thus demonstrating the
presence of an infectious agent in the
blood at this carly period os the at
tack
Even the blood serum OF patient,
passed through bacteria-proof filter,
was found to be capable of causing yell
low fever in another person.
The details of the experiments are
most interesting. but it must here SUI
fee to briefly sum up the principal con-
illusions of this admirable board OF In
vestigators of which Reed was the mas
ter mind:
81. The specific agent in the causa-
ton of yellow fever exists in the blood
of patient for the first three days
Of his attack, after which time he
ceases to be a menace to the health
of others.
-. A mosquito Of single species.