Died September 16, 1907. 1/14/1908 Minutes of the Pima County Medical Society, 1904-1954: “Moved that a resolution be sent to our member of Congress that widows of Drs. Lazear & Carroll be pensioned.”
[See also: Lazear, Jesse W.]
J Am Med Assoc, Jun 1907; XLVIII: 1966: HOUSE OF DELEGATES. A BILL FOR THE RELIEF OF DR. JAMES CARROLL. The attention of the Congress was called to the case of Dr. James Carroll by the legislative conference for 1906. A bill was thereafter introduced by request by Senator Dick of Ohio, providing a certain measure of relief. The bill went to the committee on military affairs, where its author permitted it to slumber until the first session had expired. In December, after the opening of the second session of Congress, your Legislative Conference, ascertaining that the bill was still in committee, adopted the following expression of views: "The ultimate completion of the Panama Canal, the present salubrity of Cuba, the safety of our southern seaboard against periodic invasion by epidemics, the maintenance of life and health of our citizens in that great section, and the stability of our national commerce against disturbance from the same cause, all are made possible by the discovery that the mosquito is the carrier of the contagion of yellow fever. That fact was established by the labors of three men, two of whom in the interests of humanity and science subjected themselves to inoculation by infected mosquitoes. As a result of that experiment, one of them, Mr. [sic] Jesse W. Lazear, within the next few days, died a martyr's death, the other, Dr. James Carroll, survived to live a martyr's life. The only reward that he has thus far received is a disease of the heart that occurred as a result of the yellow fever, that he voluntarily contracted for the welfare of his race. This man, this hero, after risking his life to give this priceless boon to the world, after incurring a permanent invalidism in that cause, after having spent 34 years in the faithful service of his country, is permitted to remain only an assistant surgeon with the rank of first lieutenant in the United States Army, with the paltry salary of an officer of this grade. And with broken health this man, far past the meridian of life, is supposed to meet the obligations resting on a husband, the father of seven children, and to provide against the requirements of old age. A bill for his relief, endorsed by this Council at its last conference, was introduced in the Senate but has never been reported out of committee. This is a shame. Surely if Congress understood the facts of the case the bill would pass within an hour by the concurrent action of both houses. To permit it longer to slumber will be to bring the blush of humiliation to the cheek of every intelligent and grateful citizen of the republic." Your committee, acting with the National Legislative Council, thereupon presented the foregoing to Senator Warren, chairman of the Senate committee on military affairs. The response from Senator Warren was instant and enthusiastic, and, as a result, the bill authorizing the President to appoint James Carroll a surgeon, with the rank of major, in the Medical Corps, U. S. Army, and providing that "the number of officers in the Medical Corps be increased by one with the rank of major, for this purpose," passed the Senate February 19, and the House, Feb. 27, 1907. In reviewing the history of this measure the first regret experienced is that the author of the bill, who introduced it by request, permitted it to go by default for so long a time, thereby placing the United States Senate in the mistaken attitude of seeming to be ungrateful for the most heroic service that had been rendered to science and to mankind in the last quarter of a century, and the next and final regret was that the increased rank accorded to Lieutenant (now Major) Carroll was less than a full recognition of his services and of the martyrdom that he has, in consequence, sustained. The generous spirit, the tone of genuine appreciation manifested by Congress when once it had the facts presented, must be taken, however, as an evidence of intelligent gratitude on the part of our great national legislative assembly.
J Am Med Assoc, Sep 1907; XLIX: 1048 - 1049: James Carroll, M.D., Major and Surgeon U.S.A., one of the commission assigned to study the cause and prevention of yellow fever, and the third of the four of that commission to die, died after a long illness, in Washington, September 16. He was born in Woolwich, Eng., June 5, 1834; received his early education in Albion House Academy; enlisted in the U. S. Army in January. 1874. and served as private, corporal and sergeant in Company E, First Infantry, and as private, sergeant and first sergeant ill Company C, Seventh Infantry, from that time until September, 1883, when he was given his warrant as hospital steward, in which capacity he served until May 21, 18!)S. During the latter part of this time he was studying medicine and showed unusual adaptability to research work, and for that reason Mas on duty in the Army Medical Museum, Washington. He pursued his studies in the Columbian University and was graduated from the Medical Department of the University of Maryland, Baltimore, in 1891. He took a postgraduate course in pathology in Johns Hopkins Hospital the same year, and in the next year a postgraduate course in bacteriology. He was appointed acting assistant surgeon in the United States Army and served for several years. He was associated with the late Major Walter Reed, U. S. Army, and the late Dr. James W. Lazear, U. S. Army, and Dr. A. Agramonte, as a commission to study the yellow fever situation with especial reference to the Bacillus sanarelli in the United States and Cuba. As the commission, after study of the situation, came to the decision that the disease was spread by the bite of infected mosquitoes, Dr. Carroll volunteered to be bitten by a mosquito that had previously been caused to bite three yellow fever patients. Within four days he was taken ill and suffered a severe attack of the disease, the first case of experimental yellow fever on record. On Oct. 27, 1902, Dr. Carroll, although past the age limit for admission to the Medical Department of the Army, was commissioned first lieutenant and assistant surgeon, and on May 2, 1907, largely through the efforts of the National Committee on Medical Legislation of the American Medical Association, Congress ordered that he be commissioned as major and surgeon in the Army. He still retained his position as curator of the Army Medical Museum. On May 27, 1907, Dr. Carroll had conferred on him the degree of doctor of laws by the University of Nebraska, in appreciation of his scientific and humanitarian achievements. Dr. Carroll was a member of the American Medical Association; the Association of Military Surgeons of the United States, Society of American Bacteriologists, and its vice-president in 1902; Clinico-Pathological Society of Washington; Washington Academy of Sciences, and of many other national and semi-national societies. He was instructor in bacteriology, pathology and clinical microscopy in the Army Medical School; professor of· bacteriology and pathology in the George Washington University, and pathologist to the Columbian Hospital, Washington. He was an earnest research worker and a frequent contributor to medical journals and to the proceedings of scientific societies. [Includes photo.]
J Am Med Assoc, Jan 1908; L: 42 - 43: DEATHS OF PHYSICIANS IN 1907. James Carroll, major and surgeon U. S. Army, expert on yellow fever, the first to contract the disease deliberately to test the truth of the mosquito theory.
J Am Med Assoc, May 1908; L: 1740: Reports to the House of Delegates. CARROLL-LAZEAR PENSION BILLS. Bills increasing the pensions of the widows of Dr. James Carroll and Dr. Jesse W. Lazear were introduced into the senate by Senators Dick of Ohio and Knox of Pennsylvania, later consolidated into one bill and passed by the senate. The bill is now in the hands of the committee on pensions of the House of Representatives. This bill was endorsed by the Conference on Medical Legislation and active work for its passage has been carried on by the conference committee on special national legislation. The Merchants' Association of New York, the Board of Trade of New Orleans and the Merchants' Association of San Francisco have also been interested in the matter.
[See also: Lazear, Jesse W.]
J Am Med Assoc, Jun 1907; XLVIII: 1966: HOUSE OF DELEGATES. A BILL FOR THE RELIEF OF DR. JAMES CARROLL. The attention of the Congress was called to the case of Dr. James Carroll by the legislative conference for 1906. A bill was thereafter introduced by request by Senator Dick of Ohio, providing a certain measure of relief. The bill went to the committee on military affairs, where its author permitted it to slumber until the first session had expired. In December, after the opening of the second session of Congress, your Legislative Conference, ascertaining that the bill was still in committee, adopted the following expression of views: "The ultimate completion of the Panama Canal, the present salubrity of Cuba, the safety of our southern seaboard against periodic invasion by epidemics, the maintenance of life and health of our citizens in that great section, and the stability of our national commerce against disturbance from the same cause, all are made possible by the discovery that the mosquito is the carrier of the contagion of yellow fever. That fact was established by the labors of three men, two of whom in the interests of humanity and science subjected themselves to inoculation by infected mosquitoes. As a result of that experiment, one of them, Mr. [sic] Jesse W. Lazear, within the next few days, died a martyr's death, the other, Dr. James Carroll, survived to live a martyr's life. The only reward that he has thus far received is a disease of the heart that occurred as a result of the yellow fever, that he voluntarily contracted for the welfare of his race. This man, this hero, after risking his life to give this priceless boon to the world, after incurring a permanent invalidism in that cause, after having spent 34 years in the faithful service of his country, is permitted to remain only an assistant surgeon with the rank of first lieutenant in the United States Army, with the paltry salary of an officer of this grade. And with broken health this man, far past the meridian of life, is supposed to meet the obligations resting on a husband, the father of seven children, and to provide against the requirements of old age. A bill for his relief, endorsed by this Council at its last conference, was introduced in the Senate but has never been reported out of committee. This is a shame. Surely if Congress understood the facts of the case the bill would pass within an hour by the concurrent action of both houses. To permit it longer to slumber will be to bring the blush of humiliation to the cheek of every intelligent and grateful citizen of the republic." Your committee, acting with the National Legislative Council, thereupon presented the foregoing to Senator Warren, chairman of the Senate committee on military affairs. The response from Senator Warren was instant and enthusiastic, and, as a result, the bill authorizing the President to appoint James Carroll a surgeon, with the rank of major, in the Medical Corps, U. S. Army, and providing that "the number of officers in the Medical Corps be increased by one with the rank of major, for this purpose," passed the Senate February 19, and the House, Feb. 27, 1907. In reviewing the history of this measure the first regret experienced is that the author of the bill, who introduced it by request, permitted it to go by default for so long a time, thereby placing the United States Senate in the mistaken attitude of seeming to be ungrateful for the most heroic service that had been rendered to science and to mankind in the last quarter of a century, and the next and final regret was that the increased rank accorded to Lieutenant (now Major) Carroll was less than a full recognition of his services and of the martyrdom that he has, in consequence, sustained. The generous spirit, the tone of genuine appreciation manifested by Congress when once it had the facts presented, must be taken, however, as an evidence of intelligent gratitude on the part of our great national legislative assembly.
J Am Med Assoc, Sep 1907; XLIX: 1048 - 1049: James Carroll, M.D., Major and Surgeon U.S.A., one of the commission assigned to study the cause and prevention of yellow fever, and the third of the four of that commission to die, died after a long illness, in Washington, September 16. He was born in Woolwich, Eng., June 5, 1834; received his early education in Albion House Academy; enlisted in the U. S. Army in January. 1874. and served as private, corporal and sergeant in Company E, First Infantry, and as private, sergeant and first sergeant ill Company C, Seventh Infantry, from that time until September, 1883, when he was given his warrant as hospital steward, in which capacity he served until May 21, 18!)S. During the latter part of this time he was studying medicine and showed unusual adaptability to research work, and for that reason Mas on duty in the Army Medical Museum, Washington. He pursued his studies in the Columbian University and was graduated from the Medical Department of the University of Maryland, Baltimore, in 1891. He took a postgraduate course in pathology in Johns Hopkins Hospital the same year, and in the next year a postgraduate course in bacteriology. He was appointed acting assistant surgeon in the United States Army and served for several years. He was associated with the late Major Walter Reed, U. S. Army, and the late Dr. James W. Lazear, U. S. Army, and Dr. A. Agramonte, as a commission to study the yellow fever situation with especial reference to the Bacillus sanarelli in the United States and Cuba. As the commission, after study of the situation, came to the decision that the disease was spread by the bite of infected mosquitoes, Dr. Carroll volunteered to be bitten by a mosquito that had previously been caused to bite three yellow fever patients. Within four days he was taken ill and suffered a severe attack of the disease, the first case of experimental yellow fever on record. On Oct. 27, 1902, Dr. Carroll, although past the age limit for admission to the Medical Department of the Army, was commissioned first lieutenant and assistant surgeon, and on May 2, 1907, largely through the efforts of the National Committee on Medical Legislation of the American Medical Association, Congress ordered that he be commissioned as major and surgeon in the Army. He still retained his position as curator of the Army Medical Museum. On May 27, 1907, Dr. Carroll had conferred on him the degree of doctor of laws by the University of Nebraska, in appreciation of his scientific and humanitarian achievements. Dr. Carroll was a member of the American Medical Association; the Association of Military Surgeons of the United States, Society of American Bacteriologists, and its vice-president in 1902; Clinico-Pathological Society of Washington; Washington Academy of Sciences, and of many other national and semi-national societies. He was instructor in bacteriology, pathology and clinical microscopy in the Army Medical School; professor of· bacteriology and pathology in the George Washington University, and pathologist to the Columbian Hospital, Washington. He was an earnest research worker and a frequent contributor to medical journals and to the proceedings of scientific societies. [Includes photo.]
J Am Med Assoc, Jan 1908; L: 42 - 43: DEATHS OF PHYSICIANS IN 1907. James Carroll, major and surgeon U. S. Army, expert on yellow fever, the first to contract the disease deliberately to test the truth of the mosquito theory.
J Am Med Assoc, May 1908; L: 1740: Reports to the House of Delegates. CARROLL-LAZEAR PENSION BILLS. Bills increasing the pensions of the widows of Dr. James Carroll and Dr. Jesse W. Lazear were introduced into the senate by Senators Dick of Ohio and Knox of Pennsylvania, later consolidated into one bill and passed by the senate. The bill is now in the hands of the committee on pensions of the House of Representatives. This bill was endorsed by the Conference on Medical Legislation and active work for its passage has been carried on by the conference committee on special national legislation. The Merchants' Association of New York, the Board of Trade of New Orleans and the Merchants' Association of San Francisco have also been interested in the matter.
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AMH-PN0553
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