Armstrong – Table of Contents

what relation are we?” The modest Armstrong was embarrassed, and disclaimed any
credit for her recovery. After these initial pleasantries, Surgeon General Cumming and
Armstrong escorted her through the laboratory about which she had read in Paul
DeKruif’s book “Men Against Death” (7). She wanted to see all aspects of the laboratory
operations. Mrs. Borah said that all through her convalescence from psittacosis she had
been reading about the “health heroes” who inhabited the rambling red brick building on
the Potomac. She wanted to meet most of them and to see them working with
microscopes, test tubes, rabbits and rats making discoveries that would save lives – as
miraculously as hers had been saved. So, with Armstrong and the Surgeon General as
guides, she met her “heroes” and she explored rooms filled with cultures and cages, queer
odors and queerer experiments (20).
Senator Borah felt strongly about Armstrong’s contribution to his wife’s recovery.
Although government employees are not allowed to accept favors for their work, the
Borahs, in gratitude presented to Mrs. Armstrong an exquisite, imported ceramic Chinese
bowl that is still in the family’s possession (21).
During the epidemic at the Laboratory, the investigators used convalescent serum
empirically since no other reasonable therapy was available. They had no controlled
experience to determine its efficacy since many patients recovered from psittacosis
without the use of serum. When Armstrong wrote later about psittacosis in 1948 (22), he
did not mention serum as a treatment. Psittacosis is treated currently with a variety of
antibiotics.
The following is an excerpt from the oral interview conducted by Wyndom Miles
in October 1966 reflecting Armstrong’s recollection of events: “ I was one of the first