New Iberia enterprise and independent observer. (New Iberia, La.) 1902-1944, 1905-08-05

camp were put into most rigid qnarantin,
and ample time was allowed to eliminate
any possibility of the disease beinl
brought in from Havana.
The personnel consisted Of three nurses
| and nine nonimmunes, all in the military
| service, and included two physicians.
From time to time Spanish immigrants
newly arrived, were brought in from the
immigrant station; a person not known tt
be immune was not allowed to leave camp
or if he did was forbidden to return.
The most complete record was kept ol
the health of every man to be expert
mented upon, thus eliminating the posi-
bility of any other disease than yellow
fever complicating the case.
new THE EXPERIMENTS WERE MADE.
The mosquitoes used were especially
bred from the eggs and kept in build
ing screened by wire-netting. When an
insect was wanted for an experiment II
was taken into yellow fever hospital
and allowed to fill itself with the blood
of patient; afterward, at varying inter
vals from the time of this meal blood
it was purposely applied to nonimmunes
in camp.
"In December Ave case of the disease
were developed as the result of such ap-
plications, in January three and in Feb
ruary two, making In all ten, exclusive
of the case of Drs. Carroll and Lazear
Immediately upon the appearance of the
first recognized symptoms Of the disease,
in any one of these experimental cases
the patient was taken from Camp LazeaI
to a yellow fever hospital, one mile dis
tant. 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 experimenters. The expert
ments were conducted at season when
there was the least chance of naturally
acquiring the disease and the mosquitoes
used we're kept active by maintaining
them at summer temperature. A COM
pletely mosquito proof building was di-
vided into two compartments by q wire
screen partition; infected insects were
liberated on one side only. A brave nom
immune entered and remained long
enough to allow himself to be bitten sew
eral times. He was attacked by yellow
fever, while two susceptible men in the
other compartment did not acquire the
disease, although sleeping there thirteen
nights. This demonstrates in the sim
plest and most certain manner that the in
fecflousness of the building was due only
to the presence of insects.
:. Every attempt was made to infect in
dividuals by means Of bedding, clothes
and other articles that had been used
and soiled by patients suffering with viru-
lent yellow fever.
A CONVINCING REPORT.
Naturally yellow fever is transmitted
by the mosquito, and always and only by
the mosquito. The harmlessness Of fom-
ties has been fully demonstrated by our
experiments in 1900 and 1901, in which
three young Americans slept for twenty
consecutive nights in 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 un.
packed each morning by these nOn-im-
munes, who suffered no disturbance Of
health from these exposures. The room
was twenty feet by fourteen feet, double
walled, tightly sealed, heated to above 30
degrees Fahrenheit and dark.
1.-TWO other non-immunes then occupied
the room for twenty nights, while addi-
LlVudL dIt4ClOb VI OO0AAA8 A40 OAoWu4a16
were added. They slept in the garments
and between the sheets that had covered
cases of yellrw fever, some OF which were
fatal. The result Of the second attempt
was nil A third attempt was then made
with two additional non-immunes, equal
ly without success. Not the slightest in
disposition followed close and intimate
contact with this repulsive material in
any case. Temperatures and pulse rates
were recorded at regular and frequent in
tervals. Four Of these seven non-immunes
were subsequently, infected by blood in
jections and by means Of infected mos
quitoes.
"Another kind OF experiment was in
cluded in the Cuban investigations of yell
low fever. A room was prepared so as to
preclude the possibility Of infection by
fomites (infected articles.) Every article
contained in the room had been previous
IL disinfected and was thoroughly clean.
The only possible means Of infection with
yellow fever was by infected mosquitoes,
liberated in the room containing the hu-
man subjects OF the experiment. Yellow
fever promptly followed the introduction
OF mosquitoes into the room.
WHAT EXPERIMENTS PROVED.
Besides the experimental cases caused
by mosquito bites, four non-immunes were
infected by injecting blood drawn direct
~ from the veins Of yellow fever patients
In the first two days Of the disease, thus
demonstrating the presence Of an infec-
tious agent in the blood at this early per-
iod Of the attack.
Even the blood serum OF . patient,
passed through bacteria proof filter, was
found to be capable Of causing yellow
fever in another person.
"The details Of the experiments are
most interesting, but It must here sumce
~ c .u. s":.st,s ~. w ~ Sf..d "a ;..a.t;rstc-s
~ " !h;sh .h;s ." psaa -. ~ ,..ss.r :, r;nd.