WALTER REED. 555 



When the ^ya^m season returned a few cases occurred, but by Sep- 

 tember, 1001, the last case of yellow fever ori<2:inated in Habana, 

 since which time the city has been entirely exempt from the terrible 

 disease that had there kept stronghold for a hundred and fifty years. 

 Cases are now admitted into Habana from Mexican ports, but are 

 treated inider screens with perfect impunity in the ordinary city hos- 

 pitals. The crusade against the insects also caused a very large de- 

 crease in malarial fevers. 



The destruction of the most fatal epidemic disease of the AVestern 

 Hemisphere in its favorite home city is but the beginning of the bene- 

 fit to mankind that may be expected to follow the work of Keed and 

 his associates. There can be no manner of doubt should Mexico. 

 Brazil, and the Central American Republics, where the disease still 

 exists, follow strictly the example set l)v Habana that yellow fever 

 Avill become extinct and the United States forever freed from the 

 scourge that has in the past slain thousands of our citizens and caused 

 the loss of untold treasure. 



More recent investigations into the cause and spread of yellow 

 fever have only succeeded in verifying the work of Reed and his 

 commission in every particular and in adding very little to our knowl- 

 edge of the disease. 



Later researches by Guiteras in Habana, by the Public Health 

 and Marine-Hospital Service in Veracruz, and lastly by a delegation 

 from the Pasteur Institute of Paris in Rio de Janeiro all con.firm 

 in the most convincing manner l>()tli the accuracy and comprehensive- 

 ness of the conclusions of the American commission. It has been 

 well said that Reed's experiments "" will always remain as models in 

 the annals of scientific research, both for the exactness with which 

 they were adapted to the points to be proved and the precautions 

 taken that no experiment should be vitiated by failure to exclude 

 all possible sources of error." 



Appreciation of Reed's work was instant in the scientific world. 

 Honorar}^ degrees from Harvard University and the Universitj^ of 

 Michigan were conferred upon him. learned societies and distin- 

 guished men delighted to honor him. and after his death Congress 

 voted a special pension to his widow. 



To the United States the value of his services can not be estimated. 

 Ninety times has yellow fever invaded the country, carrying death 

 and destruction, leaving povert}' and grief. 



New Orleans, Memphis, Charleston, Galveston, Portsmouth, Balti- 

 more, Philadelphia, New York, and many smaller towns have been 

 swept by the disease. 



The epidemic of 1853 cost New Orleans 8,000 lives: that of 1793 

 wiped out 10 per cent of Philadelphia's population. 



