Reed, Walter

For 2 years, Walter Reed graduated from medical courses at the University of Virginia , becoming the youngest graduate in the history of military medical education.

In 1899, Major Walter Reed, who leads a group of military doctors, was sent to Cuba . There he was supposed to study infectious diseases that undermine the combat effectiveness of the US Army. In June 1900, Reid arrived in Havana and, with his assistants, set up a U.S. Army yellow fever commission.

Walter Reed was familiar with Carlos Finlay 's hypothesis that yellow fever is transmitted by mosquitoes. He also enthusiastically accepted the results of Ronald Ross and other researchers that mosquitoes infect people with malaria . And Reed's team had to confirm or refute this hypothesis. A health camp was organized and volunteers were recruited for research. After a series of experiments, the hypothesis of yellow fever-transmitting mosquitoes was confirmed, and all other then prevailing ideas that the infection was transmitted through contaminated air, water, clothing, bedding, and in all other similar ways were refuted. This discovery made it possible to curb the spread of infectious diseases in Cuba and to resume the construction of the Panama Canal . Reed continued research on yellow fever in 1901 after returning from Cuba .

Still in Cuba, Reed had abdominal pains that recurred, but ceased safely. In November 1902, an appendix burst due to another attack. Walter Reed died of peritonitis on November 23, 1902 .

The Walter Reed Army Medical Center (currently the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center ) is named in honor of Walter Reed.

• Event informer - Walter Reed was born
• Walter Reed. Biography
• Military Medicine: Walter Reed

• Paul de Kreif (de Cruy) . Microbial hunters. - Publisher: Astrel, Polygraphizdat, 2012. - ISBN 978-5-271-35518-9 , ISBN 978-5-4215-3274-3 .
• Daniel M. Secret Paths of the Death Carriers . - Progress, 1990. ISBN 5-01-002041-6 .