Gilpin observer., 1918-07-11
SEEKING ORIGIN
OF TRENCH FEVER
Sixty Men Volunteer as Subjects
for Experimentation.
WAS UNKNOWN PRIOR TO WAR
While Disease DisabIes q Man for
From Six to Eight Weeks, It 10 Not
Fatal-little Of Value 10 Known Of
Allment and Microscope Has Not
Yet Detected the Organism Which
Causes II.

A scientific investigation of trench
fever" the disease which Is causing an
alarming wastage Of man power In
the armies, Is being conducted by the
American Red Cross through medical
officers Of the American expeditiOnary
force at British base hospital.
Sixty enlisted men. all New Eng
landers, of the United States sani-
tary corps volunteered us subjects for
experimentation. These men are serv-
ing in detachments either as hosts to-
normal or infected body insects or
have received injections Of blood taken
from soldiers known to be suffering
from trench fever.
Trench fever was unknown to the
medical profession before the pres
emf war, and there Is still little infor-
. nation of value in regard to 1t; the
microscope has not yet detected the
organism which causes It. But among
the British troops at the front 1t is
at the head of all the fevers and is
second in the list of those which cause
the greatest wastage. It has caused
almost one-third of all the sickness In
some Of the armies In the field in
northern France. One division alone
during one year averaged $50 cases
a month. Although 1t disables SOL
dier for from six to eight weeks. 1t is
not fatal and 1t leaves no permanent
of the sufferer makes the disease
alarmingly destructive Of man power.
Call for Volunteers.
1t was with the approval Of General
Pershing that call for volunteers for
experimentation was made. In trans
mitting the names Of the sixty chosen
the divisional chief surgeon wrote to
the chief surgeon Of the American ex-
peditionary force: "It is a subject Of
some pride in this division that prac-
tically all of the men. of the One Hun
dred and First, One Hundred and Sec
ond and One Hundred and Fourth
field hospitals and the One Hundred
and First. One Hundred and Second.
One Hundred and Third and One Hun
dred and Fourth ambulance companies
volunteered for this service"
In a memorandum sent to General
Pershing last December the chief sur
geOn Of the American expeditionary
force said there was urgent need to
determine the origin Of the disease,
and concluded: 1.-THE American Red
Cross has set aside a sum for re-
search work for determining the cause
Of these diseases which are producing
the greatest wastage in our armies.
AS trench fever is one of the great
est sources of wastage, this subject is
to be taken up first, and the medical
department of the army and American
Red Cross have been requested to as
sist the British in these researches"
Trench fever became recognized as
distinct. specific infection during the
latter part of 1915 and 1915. While
the first cases disabled the patients
for only brief period, the time SOL
dier is kept away from his command
has materially increased in the devel-
opement' Of the disease, owing to the
many relapses which occur in the ma
jority Of cases. In France the fever
has occurred particularly In those who
have been In the trenches or have cared
for the sick in the hospitals.
In Two Types.
TIE fever appears generally in one
of two types, either as a short, evan
escent fa-es lasting for few days or
a week. and frequently followed after
n few days by single short relapse.
or MS an affection In which there Is
series Of relapses. The onset Of the
fever is sudden. as rule, and marked
by headaches, dizziness, pains in the
back and particularly in the legs and
sharp rise in temperature, usually
to 102 or 103 degrees. Pain In the
shins Is common complaint by pa
tients and Is often very distressing.
The pulse Is usually In the neighbor-
hood Of 100. The heart is normal In
the early stages Of the disease. but
disordered action is very common later
In severe cases. Medical experts Of
the British army have demonstrated
that 1t is infectious.
AS the incubation period Of the dis
ease hns been known to extend to %
days, It is not possible at present to
announce more than the inauguration