The Dakota chief. (Gann Valley, Buffalo County, S.D.) 18??-1913, 1907-05-23
MARTYR TO YELLOW JACK.
Soldier Who Was Experimental On
Now a Hopeless Cripple.


After offering himself without hope Of
remuneration upon the altar of medical
science that further research might be
made in the prevention and cure of vel.
low fever, John II. Messenger of South
Bend, Ind, who is still less than 80 yearl
old, is now practically a confirmed in
valid. He is suffering with myelitis Oh
inflammation of the spinal marrow as tho
result of the experiment made and he is
unable to go about except with the aid
Of a wheelchair.
The sacrifice was made while Kissen-
ger was a soldier in the United States
army. The young man enlisted during
the Spanish-American war and was mus
tered into the service as member Of
the Indiana militia. At the close of
hcstilities, when mustered out of the
volunteer service, he and companion,
John j. Moran, enlisted in the regular
army.
At this time the War Department was
endeayoring to stamp out or abate yellow
fever in Cuba. DR.. Walter Reed, spe-
cialist in the disease, was selected head
of the board appointed to make the tests,
researches and experiments. His assist
ants were DR.. James Carroll. DIR. Jesse
w. Lazear and Aristides Agramonte, a
Cuban physician, who, having had yellow
fever, was declared an immune. After
experiments, during which DR.. Lazear
died, the physicians were convinced that
variety of mosquito was the cause Of
the disease. They wanted, however, to
test the theories for the prevention Of
the spread of the disease and its cure
Hence it wtN necessary that others be
inoculated by submitting to the bites Of
the disease-bearing insects. The govern
ment volunteered more assistance. A
camp, named in honor of the dead ply.
sician, was established, and Congress ap-
propriate1 money to reward those risking
their lives in the proposed experiments
1t was not necessary to call for volun-
teers. Messrs. Messenger and Moran
came to the front and offered themselves,
first stating in black and white that they
did not want pecuniary reward, and that
it should not be offered to them.
Kissinger was the first to be inocu.
lated. He was bitten by five mosquitoes
which had become infected by biting vel.
low fever patients. His sufferings were
terrible. Three days after being inocu.
lated with the disease, or Dec. 8, 1900,
his life was despaired of, but he appar.
emily recovered under the greatest care.
Moran had to be infected twice before
he was attacked. but he did not have the
disease in its worst form.
But the after effects were different in
the case of the two young heroes. Moran
seemingly suffered no i'll results. For q
time Messenger appeared to have recov.
cred completely, but subsequent develop
ments prove contrary conditions. He re-
turned to his army post and served until
his enlistment expired. Last fall he be-
gan to lose strength, and he has daily
grown more enfeebled. His legs have moi
the power to carry him and they are in
such condition that he travels about the
house on his knees and uses a wheelchaii
out of doors. Eminent physicians who
have examined Messenger say that hia
trouble is the result of the yellow fever
experiment.