TRANSMISSION OF DISEASES BY INSECTS 239 



to study the acute infectious diseases of the island; his associates were 

 James Carroll, Jesse W. Lazear and A. Agramonte. 



At that time Sanarelli's theory as to the bacillary causation of yellow 

 fever was in favor, though Reed and Carroll had already shown that the 

 bacillus of Sanarelli bore no special relation to the disease. After further 

 investigations on this subject in Cuba, with negative results, the commis- 

 sion " concluded to test the theory of Finlay," in Dr. Reed's words. 

 For this purpose General Leonard Wood, the military governor of Cuba, 

 gave permission for experiments on human beings and granted a liberal 

 sum of money for the reward of volunteer subjects. 



The commission succeeded in demonstrating how yellow fever is 

 transmitted; after that the methods of prevention to be employed were 

 evident. 



The experiments, planned and directed by Major Reed, are models 

 of their kind. All possible sources of error were excluded; hence there 

 was no uncertainty in the interpretation of the results, the accuracy of 

 which has been confirmed by subsequent commissions and by many 

 independent investigators. 



In the value of his services Major Walter Reed ranks among the 

 greatest benefactors of mankind. Before his death, which occurred in 

 1902, he received great honors for his brilliant achievements. 



Experiments in Cuba. For experimental purposes Major Reed 

 established a camp about four miles from Havana. To prevent the 

 introduction of the fever from the outside the inmates of the camp were 

 rigidly quarantined; non-immunes were confined to the camp or, if re- 

 leased, not allowed to return. In order that the study of yellow fever 

 might not be complicated by the presence of any other disease, a com- 

 plete record was kept of the health of every subject; furthermore, ample 

 time was allowed for any possible development of the disease within the 

 camp before the experiments were begun. In short, the precautions 

 taken were so thorough that yellow fever never appeared in the camp 

 except at the will of the experimenters. 



Harmlessness of Fomites. In a specially constructed building, 

 which was screened against mosquitoes and purposely ill- ventilated, 

 volunteers slept for twenty nights with bedding and clothing that had 

 been contaminated by yellow fever patients, and tried in every other way 

 to contract the disease, if possible, from the fomites, or belongings, of 

 fever subjects; yet the health of these volunteers remained unimpaired; 

 though they were not immunes, for some of them were subsequently 

 infected artificially by means of mosquitoes. 



