The Lafayette advertiser. [volume] (Vermilionville [i.e. Lafayette], La.) 1865-19??, 1905-08-02

building screened by wire-netting.
When an insect was wanted for an
experiment it was taken into a yellow
fever hospital and allowed to fill itself
with the blood of a patient, %afterward,
at varying intervals from the time of
this meal of blood. it was purpOsely
applied to nonimmunes in camp.
sin December five cases of the
disease were developed as the result
of such applications, in January
three and in February two. making in
all ten, exclusive of the cases OF Drs.
Carroll and Lazear. Immediately
upon the appearance OF the first recOg-
nized symptoms of the disease. in any
one of these experimental cases, the
patient Was takn from Camp Lazear
to a yellow fever hospital, n mile
distant. Every person in camp was
rigidly protected from accidental
mosquito bites. and not in a single
instance did yellow fever develop in
the camp except at the will of the ex-
perimenters. The experiments were
conducted at a season when there was
the least chance of naturally acquir-
ing the disease and the mosquitoes
used were kept active by maintaining
them at u summer temperature. A
completely mOsquito-prOot building
"a divided into two compartments
by "A wire screen partition: infected
insects were liberated on one side
only. A brave nOnimmune entered
and remained long enough to allow
himself to be bitten several times. He
was attacked by Yellow fever. while
two susceptible men in the other COM
partment did not acquire the disease,
although sleeping there thirteen
nights. This demonstrates in the
simplest and most certain manner
that the righteousness of the building
was due only to the presence of the
insects.
Every attemp vas made to infect
individuals by means of bedding,
clothes and other articles that had
been used and soiled by patients
suffering with virulent yellow fever.
A. CONVINCING REPORT.
Naturally yellow fever is trans
mitted by the mosquito, and always
and only by the mosquito. The harm
~lessness of fOmites has been fully
demonstrated by u experiments in
1900 and 1901, in which three young
Americans slept for twenty consecu-
tive nights in a room from which
mosquitoes were excluded garnished
with articles soiled with discharges
from fatal and other cases of yellow
fever. Three and four large boxes
were packed and unpacked each morn
ing by these non-immunes, who suf-
fered no disturbance of health from
these exposures. The room was
twenty feet by fourteen feet, double
walled, tightly sealed, heated to above
80 degrees Fahrenheit and dark.
1.-TWO other non-immunes then Oc-
cupied the room for twenty nights,
while additional articles of bedding
and clothing were added. They slept
in the garments and between the sheets
that had covered cases of yellow
fever, some of which were fatal. The
result of the second attempt was nil.
A third attemp "a then made with
two additional nOn-immunes. equally
without success. Not the slightest
indispOsition followed close and in.
innate contact with this repulsive
material in any case. Temperatures
and pulse rates were recorded al
regular and frequent intervals. -Four
of these seven. non-immunes were
subsequently, infected by blood injec'
tions and by means of infected mos
quitOes.
"Another kind Of experiment was
included in the Cuban investigation.
of yellow fever. A room was pre-
pared SO as to preclude the possibility
of infection by fomites INFECTED
articles.) Every article contained il
the room had been previously disin
fected and was thoroughly clean
The only possible means of infection
with yellow fever was by infected
mosquitoes, liberated in the room
containing the human subjects OF tn
experiment. Yellow fever prompt!
followed the introduction of mOsqui
toes into the room.
WHAT Ex1sERIMENTS PROVED.