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[Adrian Stokes and 'trench jaundice'].
1Jeroen Bosch Ziekenhuis, Regionaal Laboratorium voor Medische Microbiologie en Infectiepreventie, 's-Hertogenbosch.
Nederlands Tijdschrift Voor Geneeskunde
|March 26, 2015
Summary
Trench jaundice, or epidemic jaundice, was a significant WWI health issue. Adrian Stokes identified Spirochaeta icterohaemorrhagiae in rats, leading to control campaigns that curbed the disease.
Area of Science:
- Bacteriology
- Infectious Diseases
- World War I Medicine
Background:
- Adrian Stokes, an Irish physician, volunteered in WWI.
- He was stationed at a field hospital in Flanders during World War I.
- Trench warfare conditions facilitated disease outbreaks.
Discussion:
- The unsanitary conditions of the trenches facilitated the spread of epidemic jaundice.
- Stokes's research identified the bacterium Spirochaeta icterohaemorrhagiae as the causative agent.
Key Insights:
- Stokes was the first to publish the isolation of Spirochaeta icterohaemorrhagiae from rat kidneys in 1917.
- This discovery directly linked rat populations to the transmission of trench jaundice.
Outlook:
- A rat control campaign was implemented in the trenches following Stokes's findings.
- These control measures proved effective in curbing the incidence of epidemic jaundice.