Dan Cavanaugh. the curator of historical collections at the Claude Moore Health Sciences Library, has done a very interesting write-up about Walter Reed, his efforts to show that mosquitoes transmit yellow fever, and his connections to UVA. (The work by Reed and his colleagues eventually led to the eradication of yellow fever in much of the Western Hemisphere, saving many people from an incredibly dangerous disease.) You can check it out here.
As I’ve mentioned previously, historical collections has some amazing stuff, and they do wonderful exhibits. You can see some online exhibits here. If you’re a history buff, as I am, it’s a must visit.
Photo courtesy of the Philip S. Hench Walter Reed Yellow Fever Collection at the University of Virginia Library.