late the conditions thought most favorable to infection by f omites, the 

 windows and doors were screened and so placed as to prevent free 

 ventilation, special pains were taken to exclude sunlight, and pro- 

 vision was made for heating during the day so that an average 

 temperature of 72.6° F. was maintained throughout the entire period. 

 The men were exposed in squads for periods averaging 21 nights each. 

 Each squad entered the house at night, removed the soiled articles 

 from the boxes in which they were packed, shook them ou<>, hung 

 some about the room, and used some for making up the beds in 

 which they slept. In the morning the various garments and articles 

 of bedding were repacked and the men left the room to occupy a 

 near-by tent during the day. The result of this experiment was 

 entirely negative; the men remained in perfect health. Subsequently 

 some of them submitted to mosquito inoculation and promptly 

 sickened with the disease, showing conclusively that they were not 

 immune. 



It may be of interest to observe that the first experiments to deter- 

 mine the infective power of fomites were made over a century ago. 

 In 1800 Cathrall reported having repeatedly applied black vomit to 

 his tongue and lips and to the skin of various parts of the body with- 

 out experiencing any ill effects. In company with a friend he had, 

 besides, exposed himself to the fumes of' heated black vomit, both in 

 the open air and in a confined space, likewise without harm. In 1804 

 Ffirth, imitating Cathrall's example, went so far as to repeatedly swal- 

 low several ounces of fresh black vomit; he rubbed some into incisions 

 in his arms and dropped some into his eye without experiencing any 

 but momentary disagreeable effects. 



In view of the foregoing, one can not but admire the acute reason- 

 ing of La Roche, who, half a century ago, in discussing the evidence 

 in. support of transmission through the agency of clothes, bedding, 

 merchandise, etc., concluded that "we may well infer" that in the 

 record of such instances " some error has crepfin — something has been 

 omitted or overlooked — and that the production of the disease was 

 really due to some other agency than the one contended for," a con- 

 clusion which will be concurred in by anyone who will take the pains 

 to critically examine the recorded instances of alleged transmission by 

 such means. 



D. — Experiments to show that the Bacillus icteroides Scmarelli stands 

 in no causative relation to yellow fever. 



The fact that the Army Commission was able to produce three cases 

 of yellow fever by the subcutaneous injection of blood which was 

 shown to be sterile by the culture method is sufficient to eliminate 



a Vol. 2, p. 522. 



