Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-07-01
The DAVIS Work of Veterinarian

1t was a part of his days work. he
had swallowed a disgusting form OF ami
mai parasite-fle did not know exactly
what it was-to see what would happen.
The chances were that it would not Kill
him. Probably it would make him sick.
Perhaps there would be no noticeable
effect at all. The man who swallowed
the parasite did not know. There was
only one way to find out.
Somebody heard about it and called
up the newspapers. The informant
did not know the mans name or exactly
what he had done. He thought it would
be "a good story"
A reporter went to the office of the
chief of the bureau, in the daily work
of which this incident had taken place.
"Yes, surely" said this official. III
call DR.. Price. He's the man who swal-
lowed three parasites he found IN the
liver of dead giraffe. Probably he viii
not want 10 talk about 1t because the
experiment isn't finished yet. He hasn't
found out yet"
The reporter explained that the
story lay in what the man had done.
From the standpoint of public interest,
what had been learned in this particu-
lar case did not amount to much 1t
would be of interest only to specialists
Then the chief explained that what
this man had done was by no means
new in the annals of that bureau. In
fact. it was a regular method OF pro-
cedure. He himself, fer example, had
eaten obscure parasites To see what they
would do in his own body. He had dosed
himself with a powerful drug to see
whether 1t would be safe to use it on
other human beings. There was another
man who made himself deathly sick,
time and time again. by scratching his
arms and then bringing In contact with
the wound a substance exuded from the
body OF a certain parasite.
Not only was this tradition of serv-
ice practiced in this particular bu-
reau. It was Worldwide In the profess
sion. Some of the most notable ex-
amples now are coming from Moscow,
where Soviet Russia is supporting the
largest force of scientists Of this sort
in the world Only recently there was
a notable example from Japan. In this
case the man knew that certain para
site, once 1t gained access to his body,
would make its way to his lungs, cause
an extreme type of pneumonia, and
probably kill him. He happened to sur
vive the pneumonia.
All over the world these things are
going on, he said The newspapers never
publish them. They never hear about
them because the journals In which the
accounts appear are highly technical
and professional Nobody ever thinks of
looking in them for news"
DR.. Price came in-Dr. Emmett w.
Price of 3Tls r street. He reluctantly
consented TO allow his name TO be used
although he could not see that 1t was
important enough.
you see." he said. somebody has TO
do these things to find out about what
win happen and 1t wouldn't be square
to ask the other fellow 70 do IT, What
ever happens. you win If 1t doesn't
make you sick then you know that 1t
probably isn't dangerous TO men. If
1t kills you something has been found
out. You win either way"
The sacrifices Of physicians-or rather
investigators In medical science--in this
line are well known. They have given
their lives freely to save others.
But these men are not physicians. All
this took place In the Bureau OF AMI
NAL Husbandry Of the Department OF
Agriculture They are not primarily in
terested in the human body, They are
veterinarians. Their researches are, first
Of all, directed 10 saving animals But
the ills Of men and the Ills Of animals
are quite similar and the trails of the
two lines OF research frequently cross.
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