El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-08-06

new complaint, but extremely fatal, four
out of every five persons attacked by
it in the Bitter Root valley where it
assumes its most. virulent form passing
speedily from the sick bed to the burvin.5
ground. A characteristic symptom is IN
eruption of pimply red spots all over the
body.
Germ Tests Successful.
Investigation has proved that ahis dis
ease is due to germ" of some sort
presumably bacterium, but so min.,5e
as not TO be visible under the microscope
which is carried by a certain species
Of wood tick. There is no question Of
the accountability of the tick. for the
malady has been successfully transmit
ted, an an experimental way, through the
medium of its bite, from guinea pig to
guinea pig, from monkey to monkey and
even from human being to human being
ntwo volunteer instances. Some of
the insects were brought to Washington,
and encouraged to lay eggs, which were
duly Matched by DR.. Stiles; but it does
not appear that more than very sma!l
minority of them, in stale az nature,
ore infected. These exceptional indivId-
uals probably acquire their infection by
biting some amman which haTbors the
knows.
Heroes of Science.
Speaking of volunteers, there seems
never to be any lack of them where risks
have to be run in the experimental study
of diseases. 1t does not matter how
deadly the malady may be, there are
always men ready to take their lives in
their ranks for such purposes, often
without reward. Such was the case
when a call was ISSUED in Cuba in 1909,
for soldiers willing 10 expose themselves
TO the bites OF mosquitoes carrying the
infection of yellow fever. 1t was the case
again recently, when captain Charles F.
Craig, of the army medical corps, wanted
men, in the Philippines, for practical
test of his theory that dengue, or break
bone fever" owed its distribution to a
mosquito of another species-the night
flying Culex fatigans; an insect already
positively known to be the carrier of the
parasite threadworm which causes ele-
phantiasis.
Animals Garry Germs.
Wherever one looks, in the study OF
diseases, one finds animals of various
kinds acting as carriers of the germs
which make mischief. Science as vet has
investigative work The Anophles mos
quito is known to be the sole conyeyor
and distributor of the malaria microbe;
but where did the microbe of malaria
come from originally? 1t is, as every
body knows, a protozeon- is to
say, an animal organism of low form;
but its origin IS a puzzle.
The Dengue Fever.
The same thing mioht be said of the
bacterial parasites that cause yellow fe
yer and dengue. 1t is thought that they
are closely related, the symptoms they
produce being somewhat similar, but no.
body ever saw either of them. Like the
germs of measles ana scarlet fever, they
are so minute as TO be invisible even
under high power microscope.
As Tor denglle, to find some way of
combating it was of special Importance
from the viewpoint of the war depart-
ment, because it is very troublesome in
the Philippines, breaking out in sex
plosive epidemics," and incapicitating en-
tire commands for fighting purposes with
a Simultaneousness most distressing. The
manner OF its spread was such as OBJ
viouslxyte suggest an insect agency, and
Culex fatigans, always most plentiful
where and when dengue appeared9 was
naturally suspected
The Dangerous Mosquito.
To test the theory, captain Craig ex-
posed a number of soldiers volunteering
for the purpose In response to an offef
of 5000 apiece to the bites of mosqui-
toes OF this species which had already
bitten men sick with dengue. Twenty
or 80 of the insects, matched from eggs
in the laboratory, were liberated under
the mosquito bar of dengue sick SOL
der, in order that they might attack him
and become infected. and, few hours
later, they were removed and placed be-
meath the mosquito bar of a well man.
In every such instance the malady was
successfully reproduced; and, as a re-
suit, dengue patients are now treated
in the wards of ordinary hospitals, no
fear OF contagion being entertained SO
long as mosquitoes are prevented from
getting at the sufferers and thus ac-
quiring the infection for distribution
among other people.
Cancer.
The greatest of all medical puzzles
at the present time is cancer Mortality
from other diseases is steadily dimin-
ishing owing to improvements in SANTA
ton and In methods of treatment. but
this dreaded malady is killing people
faster every year. Out of every eight
women who pass the age of 40. one dies
of cancer. In all likelihood the reason
why the germ has never been discovered
is that, like the microbes of yellow fever
and measles, 1t is SO tiny as to be ultra
microscopic. Probably it is carried bv
one or more of the lower animals. and
science at the present time is engaged
in a far reaching inquiry with a view to
solving this branch of the problem. Mice
have been accused. and fishes likewise.
but no near approach seems yet to have
been made to a solution of the mystery.
If only the secret, doubtless a simple
one, were known, the discovery of a cure
Tor cancer would not be long postponed.