MOSQUITOES AND YELLOW FEVER 125 



experiments "appear to show almost conclusively tliattlie 

 germ is conveyed by a special si^ecies of mosquito and that 

 the insect becomes infected only after ten to tliirteen 

 days from the time of the ingestion of the germ, the ex- 

 periments are really by no means conclusive. At the 

 most they are suggestive." 



But the investigators themselves were by no means 

 satisfied Avitli the i^roof which they had gained. They 

 returned to Cuba in the autumn of 1900, and spent the re- 

 mainder of the autumn and the whole winter in further 

 experimental work. The results obtained were so posi- 

 tive and striking that, with the permission of the Sur- 

 geon-General, they presented an additional note before 

 the Pan-American Medical Congress, held in Havana, 

 February 4-7, 1901. This paper, presented by Major 

 Reed, records the details of the work done up to that 

 time and announces its results. 



An ex]Derimental sanitary station was established in an 

 open, uncultivated field, about one mile from the town of 

 Quemados, Cuba, under the complete control of Major 

 Reed. The station was named Camp Lazear, in honor of 

 the brave physician who went to his death in the early 

 summer of 1900. A most careful series of experiments 

 was carried on to see whether yellow fever can be con- 

 veyed by fomites, that is, by personal contact with the 

 clothes or belongings of yellow-fever patients. As is 

 well-known, the consensus of opinion, both of the medi- 

 cal profession and of others, is in favor of the conveyance 

 of yellow fever in this way, and every efibrt is made to 

 disinfect clothing and bedding shii)ped from ports where 



