550 WALTER EEED. 



the Army, he served in Arizona, Neliraskn, Dakota, and in the Sonth- 

 ern and Eastern States. 



Accordin<^ to the exig-en.cies of the service he was moved freqnently 

 from station to station, everywhere recognized by men of his own age 

 as a charming and sympathetic companion, and by older officers as 

 an earnest and intelligent physician whose industry, fidelity to duty, 

 and singularly good judgment gave brilliant promise for the future. 

 In the poor cabins and dugouts of the pioneers in the sparsely settled 

 districts where he served his flag Reed was ever^a messenger of heal- 

 ing and comfort. At that time army posts on the frontier were 

 usually remote and Avitli small garrisons. The young medical officer, 

 generally tlie only one at the station, was called upon by the settlers 

 for miles around. Without help, and with only such instruments 

 and medicines as could be hastily stuffed in his saddlebag, he was 

 summoned to attend a fractured thigh, a child choking with#diph- 

 theria, or, most trying of all, a complicated childbirth. 



Such experience schools Avell in self-reliance, and in the formation 

 of quick and accurate observation. 



For a man like Reed, already an earnest student, no better prepara- 

 tion could perhaps have been had. His earlier armj^ service must 

 have singularly tended to develop in him the very qualities most nec- 

 essary to his final success. To the end of his life it was noticeable 

 that even when he had long given up the practice of medicine for the 

 work of the laboratory, he was nevertheless unexcelled at the bedside 

 for rapid, unerring diagnosis and sound judgment in treatment. So 

 also were the series of ex})eriments which robbed yellow fever of its 

 terrors especially remarkable for simplicity, accuracy, and complete- 

 ness, or they never would have so quickly convinced the world of 

 their truth. Too much reverence for accepted teachings and too lit- 

 tle experience in grappling with difficulties unassisted and they 

 might never have been conceived or carried out. 



In 18D0 he was assigned to duty in Baltimore and remained there 

 over a year. Here he had the great advantage of working in the 

 laboratories of Johns Hopkins University and the happiness of win- 

 ning the close friendship of his distinguished teacher, Prof. William 

 H. Welch. 



In 1893 Reed was promoted surgeon with the rank of major, and 

 in the same year was detailed in Washington as curator of the Army 

 Medical Museum and professor of bacteriology at the newly organized 

 Army Medical School. Here he worked industriously at his spe- 

 cialty and wrote many valuable monographs, all cliaracterized by 

 accuracy and originality. His excellent judgment made him espe- 

 cially valuable in investigating the causes of epidemic diseases at 

 military jKists and in making sanitary inspections. He was therefore 

 fre(]uently selected for such work, which, with his duties as teacher 



