- In 1950-1952, he developed a hypothesis to help explain the commonly
observed late summer-early fall incidence for poliomyelitis in the
temperate climate zones. He postulated changes in the relative humidity
of inspired air, correlated with official weather reports, to explain the
acquisition of poliomyelitis infection and possibly of other viruses
transmitted in a similar fashion. - In 1953, he demonstrated Toxoplasma gondii organisms in a superficial
lymph gland from a patient with a cryptic fever thus indicating one
method by which this elusive ailment in adults might be identified. - In the 1950s, he tried to determine the etiology of cat scratch disease
without making any progress in cultivating the organism
During the course of Armstrong’s field and laboratory activities, he contracted the
following infections: a) Malaria, b) Dengue fever, c) Psittacosis, d) Encephalitis (He
developed antibodies to both Saint Louis encephalitis and lymphocytic
choriomeningitis.), e) Q fever, f) Tularemia.
In paying tribute to his numerous accomplishments, many media articles and
obituaries seemed to attribute primary importance to his eminence in poliomyelitis
research. In the oral history recorded late in his life (1966), Armstrong, on reflection, was
of the opinion that his most significant contribution to public health was the promotion of
methods to prevent tetanus following smallpox vaccination; this was perhaps a far too
modest self-evaluation considering the totality of his accomplishments.
The author of the Johns Hopkins Epidemiology Letter (22a) stated that the
legacies of Charles Armstrong were evident, not only in his contributions to infectious
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