Walter Reed: His contributions to Medicine saved countless lives

He was an American Army surgeon and scientist who studied bacteria and discovered through his research what causes yellow fever and thereby how to fight it and in the process saved the lives of countless people.
Born in Virginia on september 13 1851 he was educated at the university there and later went on to Bellevue Hospital Medical college. From there he joined the U.S. Army and entered the Medical Corps as a surgeon. By 1893 he was teaching bateriology and microscopy at the Army Medical Museum in Washington. It was here that he began his research into transmitted diseases such as yellow fever and typhoid Fever. His work in the field led to an understanding of how these diseases worked and how they could be prevented both among soldiers in the military and civilians.
His biggest contribution came in 1900. He was appointed director of a commission to look into what was causing an outbreak of yellow fever in the nation of Cuba. Through his investigations he determined that the yellow fever germ was being transmitted by the bite of a specific type of mosquito that was found there. As a result of his work a project to exterminate the mosquitos was undertaken. The result was that the disease was all but eliminated within 3 months. The incidents of yellow fever have been reduced drastically worldwide since 1901 as a result of this effort to stop it.
Shortly after his return from Cuba however he suddenly fell ill from an recurring intestinal condition from which he had long suffered which caused his appendix to rupture. Surgery came too late to save him. He died on November 23 1902 at the age of only 51. The Walter Reed Army Medical center in Washington D.C. is named in his honor.