Durango semi-weekly herald., 1907-04-15

been able to demonstrate its truth.
Reed applied to General Wood for per-
mission to conduct experiments with
human subjects, and liberal sum of
money was appropriated to pay per-
sons who would submit themselves to
tests. DIR. Finley gave him the eggs
OF the stegomyia, which he Matched
and then put the mosquitoes upon yell
low fever patients SO that they were
filed with the infected blood. DR..
Carroll. members of the commission.
was the first volunteer, and suffered
very severe attack. Dr. Lazear also
submitted to the experiment, acquir-
ed the disease in its most virulent
form and died a martyr to science.
Spanish immigrants and volunteers
from the United States army also vol
ton Of 5000 each. They were placed
in a yellow fever hospital and insects
filed with the blood of patients were
allowed to bite them. Other men were
employed to sleep in the beds and the
wear the clothes of patients who had
died of yellow fever, and this ordeal
was more dreaded than the mosquito
test, but it proved not to be danger
GUS. One man slept thirteen nights
in the clothing and in the bed of a
patient who had died OF virtrlent yell
low fever and was not attacked. La
ter he was bitten by mosquito and
was shortly afterward taken down
with the disease. For twenty nights
several paid volunteers slept in the
room with yellow gever patients, in
their clothing and in their beds, and
their health was not affected in the
slightest degree. This demonstrated
| that the infection was due to the mos
| quitoes and not to contact
Other experiments were made by in
| jecting blood from the veins of yellow
| fever patients into the bodies of vol
iInteers. Every other test that in
| genuity could suggest was applied by
Dr. Reed, who summed up his con-
| clusions as follows:
81. The specific agent in the causa-
ton of yellow fever exists in the blood
Of the patient for the first three days
of his attack, after which time he
ceases to be a menace to the health
Of others.
"2. mosquito OF single species,
] stegomyia fasciata, ingesting the blood
Of patient during this infective pc
riod, is powerless to convey the dis
case to another person by its bite
until about twelve days have elapsed
| Tut can do so thereafter for an in.
definite period, probably during the
remainder of its life.
| 49, The disease cannot In nature be
spread in any other way than by the
bite of the previously infected stegom
via. Articles used and soiied by pa
tients do not carry Infection"
| These conclusions were accepted by
the medical world. and acting upon
them, the chief sanitary officer of Ha
vana, Surgeon-Major Gorgas of the
army, commenced campaign of mos
quito determination in Havana. which
was carried on with great energy by
the use of petroleum until, as I have
already told you, the city for the first
time in its history was entirely free
rom this terrible diseases of more
than three years. Other cities in the
tropics have taken similar measures
and If Mexico. Brazil, the Central
American republics and other coun
tries in the tropics will follow the
example of Havana and adopt the
recommendations of Walter Reed
medical experts believe that the most
dreaded scourge of that section of the
earth will soon become extinct.
Surgeon Kean tells me that typhoid
fever is not common in Cuba. There
have been few cases this winter in
Havana and in the army, but they
were brought here from other coun
tries. "The greatest degree of mortal
ity is from tuberculosis" he explained
"and we are trying to suppress that
When the army withdrew In 1902 VIC
were planning an outdoor sanitarium
Tor the tuberculosis patients, and hat
already bought property for one. The
Cubans, however, did not carry ou,
the plans. and the property is now
rented for other purposes. but the
board of health intends to take Ut
the matter where we left 1t of in
1902 and establish open air hospitals