A glance through
La Roche's great book(6) on the subject soon gives one an idea of
the enormous importance of the disease in the history of the Southern
States. Havana, ever since its foundation, had been a hotbed of yellow
fever. The best minds of the profession had been attracted to a solution
of the problem, but all in vain. Commission after commission had been
appointed, with negative results; various organisms had been described
as the cause, and there were sad illustrations of the tragedy associated
with investigations undertaken without proper training or proper
technique. By the year 1900, not only had the ground been cleared,
but the work on insect-borne disease by Manson and by Ross had given
observers an important clue. It had repeatedly been suggested that
some relation existed between the bites of mosquitoes and the tropical
fevers, particularly by that remarkable student, Nott of Mobile, and
the French physician, Beauperthuy. But the first to announce clearly the
mosquito theory of the disease was Carlos Finlay of Havana. Early in the
spring of 1900, during the occupation of Cuba by the United States, a
commission appointed by Surgeon-General Sternberg (himself one of the
most energetic students of the disease) undertook fresh investigations.
Dr. Walter Reed, Professor of Bacteriology in the Army Medical School,
was placed in charge: Dr. Carroll of the United States Army, Dr.
Agramonte of Havana and Dr. Jesse W. Lazear were the other members. At
the Johns Hopkins Hospital, we were deeply interested in the work, as
Dr. Walter Reed was a favorite pupil of Professor Welch, a warm friend
of all of us, and a frequent visitor to our laboratories. Dr. Jesse
Lazear, who had been my house physician, had worked with Dr. Thayer and
myself at malaria, and gave up the charge of my clinical laboratory to
join the commission.

(5) Matthew Carey: A Short Account of the Malignant Fever,
Philadelphia, 1793.

(6) R. La Roche: Yellow Fever, 2 vols., Philadelphia, 1855.

Many scientific discoveries have afforded brilliant illustrations of
method in research, but in the work of these men one is at a loss to
know which to admire more--the remarkable accuracy and precision of the
experiments, or the heroism of the men--officers and rank and file of
the United States Army; they knew all the time that they were playing
with death, and some of them had to pay the penalty! The demonstration
was successful--beyond