James Carroll: podcast appearances and interviews

Major James Carroll was born on June 5, 1854, in England and later moved to Canada in 1874. He enlisted in the United States Army in the same year and earned his M.D. from the University of Maryland School of Medicine in 1891. Carroll studied bacteriology under Dr. William H. Welch at Johns Hopkins Hospital and assisted Walter Reed in pathology laboratories. He was a member of the Yellow Fever Commission in Cuba in 1900, working alongside notable colleagues including Walter Reed, Jesse William Lazear, and Aristides Agramonte. Carroll and Lazear famously subjected themselves to mosquito bites to test the theory that mosquitoes transmit yellow fever; Carroll contracted the disease during the experiment but recovered, though the illness caused lasting heart damage. This damage contributed to his death seven years later. Throughout his career, Carroll completed significant research, including proving that blood from active yellow fever cases contained sub-microscopic infective agents. In 1904, he personally tested an oral typhoid fever vaccine on himself and other volunteers, an experiment that was not publicly disclosed due to issues with vaccine preparation. Carroll's contributions to medicine include serving as the inaugural president of the United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology. He was subsequently buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia. Carroll's work and character have been depicted in various stage and screen productions, including the 1934 play Yellow Jack, where he has been portrayed by numerous actors.