AN UNUSUAL PULMONARY DISEASE

Abstract

WE WISH to describe a group of 26 cases of unusual pulmonary disease that occurred late in March 1944 in eastern Oklahoma. There is but one proved common factor, namely, every man who contracted the disease had spent some time in an abandoned storm cellar on the military reservation at Camp Gruber, Okla. (tables 1 and 2). The group which was there on March 17 consisted chiefly of men from four squads, two squads from each of two companies. These companies lived in different camp areas, used separate messes and had never previously trained together. The men arrived at the area of the cellar around midnight and remained there until about 8 a. m., being in the cellar from three minutes to six hours. The morning of March 17 was clear and cold, but the ground was damp from rain of the two previous nights. The cellar was reasonably dry,