HIS observations on "little O'Saya'' (stripped of their spiri- "7^ 

 tual backgrounds) went to press under the title of Notes 

 on a case of hcematochyliiria [10]. As clinical report, it added 

 merely to the knowledge of the geographic distribution of 

 filariasis. Charles Martin's pictures (photographer of the 

 Manila laboratory) gave the scientific public a better view 

 of the matter. More important for the philosophy of parasitol- 

 ogy were Wherry's comments. O'Saya had lived for several 

 years in immediate contact with three Japanese women in an 

 atmosphere perpetually infested with culex mosquitoes. It was 

 general opinion that the disease was transmitted of their bite, 

 yet O'Saya had sickened none of her neighbors. In the face of 

 this evidence might we not have to revert to Manson's original 

 view, Wherry asked, and think of the worms escaping from 

 their mosquito homes to some watery medium, later consumed 

 by man with his food? Again, no filaria-struck patient had 

 ever been cured. Wherry and McDill had tried to accomplish 

 it by repeated exposure to the x-ray after sensitization of the 

 filaria to its light by large doses of quinine. In this report and 

 in its American reprint [10], the patient's symptoms were 

 described as so improved that from being bedfast, she was 

 walking again. But living embryos were still present in the 

 blood. Wherefore Wherry wrote: "It is altogether likely that 

 the treatment had no effect upon the adult parasites." But 

 it had. January 29, 1907, McDill confided to Wherry in a 

 letter: "I have had O'Saya's blood examined on two occasions, 

 the last, one month ago, & she seems free of parasites." As pub- 

 lished supplement [29] this fact closed the story. 



As 1904 neared its end, the elder Wherry reported out of 

 India on young Wherry's mounting scientific recognition: 

 ... I gave our Civil Surgeon, Capt R Heard, brother of Dr 

 Lyon Heard of Dublin, a reading of your pamphlets. He was 

 so much interested that he asked the privilege of keeping them. 

 Your investigations as to the Pasteur filters are very practical 

 here & he wishes to investigate somewhat on his own account. 

 Dr Heard has a very high esteem for American study in medi- 

 cal science — indeed he does not hesitate to say that we are far 

 in advance of Britain & Europe. — As to your plan to visit us 

 on your way home, if that means that you forfeit a free 

 passage, I am doubtful as to the wisdom of it. . . . 



