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Congressional Gold Medal Recipient
Walter Reed
Yellow Fever Experimentations Congressional Gold Medal Awardees:
The painting above, entitled "Conquerors of Yellow Fever," shows a group of volunteers and researchers in Cuba, led by Dr. Walter Reed (standing tall, in the middle, in white). Yellow fever is a devastating viral disease that can cause bleeding from the eyes, nostrils, anus and other mucous membranes. This terrible illness often also causes black-colored, blood-filled vomit, and the deterioration of the liver, kidneys, and heart. Yellow bile pigments from the damaged liver color the skin, giving the disease its name. Those who do not survive usually die between four and eight days after they first show symptoms. There is still no known cure for the disease. Before 1898, yellow fever had always been a puzzle, because it strikes many people at once as an epidemic, yet it isnt directly contagious from one person to another. Sadly, yellow fever epidemics have been common throughout history. Although many researchers had been trying to solve the mystery of the yellow fever epidemic throughout the nineteenth century, it was the short
Spanish-American War of 1898 that provided the pressure which resulted in a solution. The United States had gone to war with Spain to support rebels in Cuba and Puerto Rico who wanted to be free from violent and repressive Spanish control. The American public was particularly supportive of the rebels because of the "yellow journalism" of William Randolph Hearst, who published a series of exaggerated stories on Spanish atrocities. When the U.S.S. Maine was sunk in an Havana port, battle cries of "Remember the Maine" sent the U.S. into war against Spain. The U.S. defeated Spain in less than one year, because of its naval superiority. Early in the war, a severe yellow fever epidemic broke out among Cuban peasants and American soldiers stationed in Havana. For many years scientists had struggled with solving the problem of the puzzling epidemic, but it wasnt until the outbreak of yellow fever in Havana, during the Spanish-American War, that the problem was solved by an American-led team of scientists. The U.S. army was incredibly motivated by the war to halt this deadly epidemic, which could be fatal to their soldiers. In an effort to find ways to control yellow fever epidemics, the U.S. Surgeon General commissioned a team of researchers, led by army medical scientist
Dr. Walter Reed, to go to Cuba and accelerate all efforts to figure out how the disease spread. Dr. Reed had considered many ideas, and began testing them, including the fifty- year-old suggestion of a Dr. Carlos Finlay that yellow fever might be spread by insects. Epidemics seemed to move along the course of wind currents, and they would stop when cold stopped mosquitoes from breeding. Dr. Reeds bold experiments proved that yellow fever was indeed spread by the bite of the mosquito Ades aegypti. He had one set of volunteers sleep on the soiled clothes and beds of yellow fever patients in a room screened so that no mosquitoes could get in. None of these people contracted the disease. He had another group of volunteers stay completely away from sick patients, except he let mosquitoes that had been allowed to feast first on people sick with the disease bite the patients. These volunteers did get sick. There was no doubt: although yellow fever was not directly contagious from one person to another, it was spread by insect bites. Dr. Reeds discovery had an immediate and powerful effect and has since rid much of the world of this horrible disease. As a result of his discovery, yellow fever patients were kept in rooms with mosquito screens, and any nearby wet breeding grounds of the insect were destroyed. Within three months, yellow fever was eliminated from Havana, for the first time in over 150 years! Similarly, the same techniques were used a few years later in Panama, which had suffered regular and devastating yellow fever epidemics. Panama has not seen even a single case since. It is widely held that it was only then possible to build the Panama Canal. This is another example of how the pressures of war can lead to a powerful and useful medical innovation. Dr. Walter Reed was born at Belroi, Virginia, September 13, 1851, he received his medical degree from the University of Virginia in 1869 and additional training at Bellvue Medical College, New York City in 1870. He was commissioned as Assistant Surgeon with the rank of Lieutenant, United States Army, and stationed at Fort Lowell, Arizona from 1876 to 1887. Was attending surgeon and examiner of recruits, Baltimore, Maryland, from 1890 to 1893. Was curator of the Army Medical Museum and promoted to Major, United States Army, 1893. He was appointed chairman of a commission sent to study yellow fever among US soldiers in Cuba in 1898, and proved that the disease was transmitted by mosquitoes. In 1901-02 he was professor of patheology-bacteriology at Columbia University in Washington. He died on November 22, 1902, at age 51, from a sudden case of appendicitis. The Army Medical Center in Washington is named for him. He is buried in Section 3 of Arlington National Cemetery. His daughter, Blossom Reed (July 12, 1883-August 22, 1964), and his wife, Emily Lawrence Reed (January 14, 1856-July 23, 1950), are buried with him. Yellow Fever Experimentations Congressional Gold Medal Awardees: Walter Reed b. Belroi, near Gloucester, Gloucester, Virginia, 13 September 1851
d. Washington, D.C., 23 November 1902
James Carroll b. Woolwich, Kent [now Greenwich, Greater London], England, 5 June 1854
d. Washington, D.C., 16 September 1907
Jesse William Lazear b. Baltimore, Baltimore, Maryland, 2 May 1866
d. Quemados [now Quemado de Gines], Villa Clara, Cuba, 25 September 1900
Aristides Agramonte b. Camagey, Cuba, 3 June 1869
d. New Orleans, Orleans, Louisiana, 17 August 1931 John Hewitt Andrus b. Fassett, Bradford, Pennsylvania, 7 October 1879
d. Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1 May 1942 John R. Bullard b. Dedham, Norfolk, Massachusetts, 5 July 1872
d. Ingenio Jatibonico, Jatibonico, Oriente, Cuba, 18 September 1944 Albert Wall Covington b. Laurinburg, Scotland, North Carolina, 1 July 1877
d. Ancn, Balboa, Canal Zone, 20 April 1934
William Hanaford Dean b. Holland, Lucas, Ohio, 6 January 1877
d. 3 May 1928 Wallace Wellington Forbes b. Galesburg, Knox, Illinois, 25 September 1878
d. Minnesota?, 1948 Levi Everett Folk b. Kadish, Newberry, South Carolina, 7 February 1870
d. Columbus, Franklin, Ohio, 9 February 1936 Paul Hamann b. Germany, 14 February 1876
d. Moline, Rock Island, Illinois, 1 January 1933 James Lanard Hanberry b. Denmark, Bamberg, South Carolina, 12 December 1875
d. Columbia, Richland, South Carolina, 26 February, 1961 Warren Gadsden Jernegan b. Cone, Hillsborough, Florida, 8 July 1872
d. Charleston, Charleston, South Carolina, 5 February 1919
John Richard Kissinger b. McClure, Henry, Ohio, 25 July 1877
d. Dunedin, Pinellas, Florida, 13 July 1946
John Joseph Moran b. Ireland, 15 March 1876
d. Havana, Ciudad de la Habana, Cuba, 29 September 1950 William Olsen b. Pierce County, Wisconsin, 27 August 1874
d. Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, 10 September 1932 Charles Gustave Sonntag b. Charleston, Charleston, South Carolina, 20 November 1872
d. Sandy Run, Berkeley, South Carolina, 19 February 1937 Clyde Llewellyn West b. Mier, Grant, Indiana, 5 April 1877
d. North Beach, Calvert, Maryland, 17 July 1943 Robert Powel Page Cooke b. Virginia, 12 October 1874
d. Lexington, Albemarle, Virginia, 27 October 1952 Thomas Marcus England b. Chillicothe, Ross, Ohio, 14 October 1876
d. Columbus, Franklin, Ohio, 23 July 1943 James Hildebrand b. Decatur, DeKalb, Georgia, 2 April 1862
d. Atlanta, Fulton, Georgia, 4 March 1935 Edward Weatherwalks b. Pompton, Passaic, New Jersey, 16 July 1874
d. Haskell, Passaic, New Jersey, 21 October 1916 Gustaf E. Lambert b. Sweden, 31 December 1874
d. Chicago, Cook, Illinois, August 1962 Roger P. Ames b. Orleans Parish?, Louisiana, 7 April 1868
d. Quirigu, Guatemala, 14 November 1914
Thursday, 28 February 1929 An Act To recognize the high public service rendered by Major Walter Reed and those associated with him in the discovery of the cause and means of transmission of yellow fever. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That in special recognition of the high public service rendered and disabilities contracted in the interest of humanity and science as voluntary subjects for the experimentations during the yellow-fever investigations in Cuba, the Secretary of War be, and he is hereby, authorized and directed to publish annually in the Army Register a roll of honor on which shall be carried the following names: Walter Reed, James Carroll, Jesse W. Lazear, Aristides Agramonte, James A. Andrus, John R. Bullard, A. W. Covington, William H. Dean, Wallace W. Forbes, Levi E. Folk, Paul Hamann, James F. Hanberry, Warren G. Jernegan, John R. Kissinger, John J. Moran, William Olsen, Charles G. Sonntag, Clyde L. West, Doctor R. P. Cooke, Thomas M. England, James Hildebrand, and Edward Weatherwalks, and to define in appropriate language the part which each of these persons played in the experimentations during the yellow-fever investigations in Cuba; and in further recognition of the high public service so rendered by the persons hereinbefore named, the Secretary of the Treasury is authorized and directed to cause to be struck for each of said persons a gold medal with suitable emblems, devices, and inscriptions, to be determined by the Secretary of the Treasury, and to present the same to each of said persons as shall be living and posthumously to such representatives of each of such persons as shall have died, as shall be designated by the Secretary of the Treasury. For this purpose there is hereby authorized to be appropriated the sum of $5,000; and there is hereby authorized to be appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, such amounts annually as may be necessary in order to pay to the following-named persons during the remainder of their natural lives the sum of $125 per month, and such amount shall be in lieu of any and all pensions authorized by law for the following-named persons: Private Paul Hamann; Private John R. Kissinger; Private William Olsen, Hospital Corps; Private Charles G. Sonntag, Hospital Corps; Private Clyde L. West, Hospital Corps; Private James Hildebrand, Hospital Corps; Private James A. Andrus, Hospital Corps; Mr. John R. Bullard; Doctor Aristides Agramonte; Private A. W. Covington, Twenty-third Battery, Coast Artillery Corps; Private Wallace W. Forbes, Hospital Corps; Private Levi E. Folk, Hospital Corps; Private James F. Hanberry, Hospital Corps; Doctor R. P. Cooke; Private Thomas M. England; Mr. John J. Moran; and the widow of Private Edward Weatherwalks. 45 Stat. 1409-1410
Monday, 2 July 1956
An Act To amend the Act entitled "An Act to recognize the high public service rendered by Major Walter Reed and those associated with him in the discovery of the cause and means of transmission of yellow fever", approved February 28, 1929, by including therein the name of Gustaf E. Lambert. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Act entitled "An Act to recognize the high public service rendered by Major Walter Reed and those associated with him in the discovery of the cause and means of transmission of yellow fever", approved February 28, 1929 (45 Stat. 1409), is hereby amended by inserting after the name of John J. Moran, wherever it appears in such Act, the name of Gustaf E. Lambert. SEC. 2. No benefits shall be paid by reason of the amendment made by this Act for any period prior to the date an application therefor is filed with the Veterans' Administration after the date of enactment of this Act and payment of any such benefits shall be made by the Veterans' Administration. 70 Stat. 484
Tuesday, 2 September 1958
AN ACT To amend the Act entitled "An Act to recognize the high public service rendered by Major Walter Reed and those associated with him in the discovery of the cause and means of transmission of yellow fever", approved February 28, 1929, by including therein the name of Roger P. Ames. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Act entitled "An Act to recognize the high public service rendered by Major Walter Reed and those associated with him in the discovery of the cause and means of transmission of yellow fever", approved February 28, 1929 (45 Stat. 1409), is hereby amended by inserting after "Aristides Agramonte," the first time it appears in such Act the following: "Roger P. Ames,". 72 Stat. 1702
Left: Dr. Philip S. Hench with Walter Reed's wife, Ms. Emilie L. Reed (left), and daughter, Ms. Emilie "Blossom" Reed (right), examining Walter Reed's Congressional Medal, January 1942 (Hench-Reed Collection, CMHSL, UVA).
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