Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1906-08-30
ARE WE AN
MIGRATE
NATION
Heroes Who Gave Their Lives
in COnquering Yellow
Fever, Forgotten

Reed reported to the Pan-Americar
congress at Havana the result Of his
experiments, by which it had been
demonstrated that yellow fever is
not properly speaking. contagious;
that II is not carried by clothing
that It does not infect the house
that the common II not the sole
method OF transmission is the bite of
the infected mosquito; and that the
spread OF the fever can be controlled
and practically prevented by the de-
struction OF the mosquito or the pro-
lection OF the sick against her bite,
since II the mosquito Is not infected
she cannot infect others. The effect
OF this demonstration, obtained at
the hazard of life, has been to render
America practically secure against
further incursions of this terrible
scourge.
And yet to the most OF our readers
the name OF Walter Reed is un-
known: to nearly all OF them the
names are wholly unknown OF the
private soldiers who voluntarily sub
jected themselves to yellow fever for
the purpose of furnishing this dem
onstratlon; and to many Of them
there is only a faint impression of
the experiments themselves, as re-
corded at the time In fugitive arti-
cles in the newspapers and periodi-
calls We are, therefore. very glad
that Prof Howard A. Kelly has pre-
served In permanent form the rec
ord OF this heroic adventure in a BIZ
ography of Walter Reed
Or. Finlay. OF Cuba. was the first
to suggest that the mosquito might
be an agent for the transmission os
yellow fever.
This remained, however. an un-
proved suggestion until the year
1900. when the medical commission
OF which Or. Reed was made chair
man, was appointed to investigate
the cause and ondeavor to ascertain
a cure, or, what is more important,
prevention, OF yellow fever. To de.
tormine whether this disease was car.
ried by contaminated clothing. or by
the mosquito, or by both media. II
was necessary To find men who would
volunteer themselves for process OF
terrible experimentation DR.. Car.
roll, of the commission, first offered
himself for the purpose. He submit.
ted To the bite of a mosquito which
had previously been allowed To bite
yellow fever patients. as a result was
taken sick with the yellow fever. was
carried To the yellow fever camp and
his life hung In the balance for three
days, though he eventually recov.
cred. A single experiment did not.
however, suffice To furnish sclon.
title demonstration. An experiment
station was opened. volunteers were
called for, number offered them.
selves aud two We're selected.
Or, Reed talked the matter over
with thom, explained fully the dan.
ger and suffering Involved In the ex.
pertinent should Il be successful. and
then. seeing they were determined.
he stated that definite money com.
ponsation would he made TO them.
Both young men declined TO accent
Il, making IL, indeed. their sole stipu.
lation that they should receive no
poounIary reward; whereupon Major
Reed touched hts cap. saying respect.
fully; "Gentlemen. I salute YOU. :"
Reeds own words in his published
account OF the experiment on Klssln.
ger are' I'm my opinion, this exhl.
billion OF moral courage has never
been surpassed In the annals ot the
army OF the United States"
This courage was eQualed by that
exhibited In later experiment, when
three non-lmmunes slept from No.
vember 80 70 December 10. a period
OF 20 days, In bedding taken from
the beds ~ patients sick with yellow
fever and especially soIled with the
results OF the yellow fever disease.
In 4 room furnished with the least
possible ventilation, In an air sx-
eessiNely malodorus, and In TEN.
poratare both hot and humid, Their
rooTage In submitting 10 such test
Is rot iessened by the fact that all
remained In perfect health. not
withstanding their stay OF 20 Nights
amid such unwholesome surround.
ngs,
These experiments were preceded |
md accompanied by scientific pro.
'esses which MI our lay minds with |
ImAdement. Ii 10 not necessary for