17 
greatly regretted that other local observers, as Buckley, Mills, Spotts- 
wood, Brice, Howard, etc., have not published their many valuable 
observations. 
Dr. Emil Starz, of Helena, State bacteriologist and chemist, Doctor Traphagen, of 
Bozeman, Doctor Strain, of Great Falls, and Doctor Longeway, then secretary of the 
Montana State board of health, visited the Bitter Boot Valley in the spring of 1902. 
“After going over the ground, examining the character of the soil, water supply, etc., 
it Avas determined that none of these conditions was probably responsible for the 
disease, and that the investigations should be carried on by pathological and bac- 
teriological examinations of existing cases.” In accordance with this conclusion, 
the State board of health invited Drs. Louis B. Wilson and Wm. M. Chowning, of 
the Minnesota State University, to study the malady. 
Wilson was in the Bitter Boot Valley from May 16 to July 14, 1902, and April 22 
to May 20, 1903. Chowning was in the same district from May 26 to July 14, 1902, 
and from May 19 to June 19, 1903. He also visited the valley again, on an unofficial 
trip in June, 1904, spending about two weeks in Missoula. 
Dr. J. 0. Cobb, of the U. S. Public Health and IVIarine-Hospital Service, and Prof. 
F. F. Wesbrook, of the Minnesota State University, spent the last week of June, 1902, 
in the Bitter Boot Valley, studying the disease. 
Dr. J. F. Anderson, of the United States Public Health and Marine-Hospital 
Service, was in the same locality from May 1 to 30, 1903, when he studied the same 
cases observed during the same time by Wilson & Chowning. 
Dr. Percy M. Ashburn, captain and assistant surgeon, U. S. Arm}^, 
stationed at Fort Missoula, bad an opportunit}^ to observe some fea- 
tures of the disease in 1903, but it was not until the season of 190L 
that he undertook a more thorough investigation of the malady. 
I arrived at Missoula May 7, 1904, and remained in the Bitter Boot 
Valley until Jul}^ 6, 1904, stud 3 ung the cases which occurred during 
that time. 
Specific Cause of Spotted Fever. 
Various different theories have been advanced regarding the cause 
of ‘‘ spotted fever,” Among these the following may be mentioned: 
Idaho . — The vera causa is probably of a teluric character (Bowers, 1896, p. 63). 
Dubois (1896, p. 64) frankly admitted that as yet no cause can be assigned. Figgins 
(1896, p. 64) states that he never saw any cases except among people Avho had used 
water from creeks and surface wells. He has seen it in families who used water from 
springs and where the entire family had the disease. Springer (1896, p. 62) gives 
the cause as probably “ water; sepsis.” Sweet (1896) says that while there are indi- 
cations which seem to point out this particular affection as a water-borne disease, 
there are other circumstances which militate against this theory and are in favor of 
its being akin to malaria, in that it is frequently seen in persons who have been liv- 
ing in the vicinity of newly broken ground, post holes, plowed ground, and in those 
who have drunk from seepage water from worked soil, etc. Zipf (1896, p. 65) 
attributes it to malaria. Maxey (1899, p. 434) concludes that the disease “is, in ah 
probability, caused by some peculiar organism, possibly a mia-sm, though no specific 
cause has yet been discovered.” 
Montana . — Gwinn (1902) says that all kinds of theories have been advanced, none 
of which have been based upon pathological investigations; and none of the theories 
23339— No. 20—05 2 
