11)19] 



on Medicine and tlie War 



483 



absolutely none that they introduced a specially malignant form of 

 the disease. It is true that cases had occurred at the Valcartier 

 Camp, and three cases on sliip-buard when the first contingent 

 crossed to England. The first case among the Canadians on 

 Salisbury Plain was discovered upon October 18th, the first among 

 British troops in the same week, but no evidence has l)een adduced 

 to show any relationship between this first British military case and 

 the Canadians. In all, between October 18th and the following 

 May 1st, 50 aises occurred among 30,000 Canadians, with 36 deaths. 

 The war has taught us salutary lessons regarding the disease, 

 notably that it follows overcrowding and bad ventilation. Reduce 



PERCEmAGE MORTALITY 



CEREBROSPINAL 



FEVER 



SUCCESSVE 



YEARS 



Fig. 3. 



the number of men in a hut and see that the air is kept fresh, and 

 the cases fall off rapidly. Much had been hoped from the employ- 

 ment of the Rockefeller anti-serum. This had been elaborated during 

 the New'^York epidemic and had distinct good effects in America, as 

 also in' Belfast eight years previously ; but the serum provided from 

 America in 1914 and 1015 appeared to be absolutely without effect. 

 Its failure, led to a careful investigation by the Army authoi'ities at 

 Millbank, which took two main directions. In France attention had 

 already been called to the existence of meningococci proper and 

 parameningococci, and Major Ellis, of the Canadian Army, made a 

 careful study of the bacteriology of these Army cases, thereby 

 isolating three allied but distinct strains of meningococci. Simul- 



