The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-09-22

10 set hre To dwellings This" ne says,
lis one of the arguments which the rural
genius Is apt TO breed, aud which are SO in
furious To the work of public health au
thoritics' Passing from this point, Dr.
Smith advises the proper screening of
houses and that people generally who live
In maarial regions should he Informed of
the danger Of the open air after SHUTDOWN
Recently" he SAYS. 1.-THE Italian inyesti ga
tors have published some very striking
statistics concerning the value of such pre-
ventve methods in countries that are sat
urated with malaria. Different men Of
the National malaria commission undertook
to protect cXperimentally the men VINO
were compelled TO live along the railroad
tracks of the different Italian railrc-lis
passing through very dangerous malarial
swamps They personally supervised the
experiments, provided the houses in which
these railrond officials lived with proper
screenS, provided double doors, and super
Vlscd the lives of the people IN such way
that they could not be exposed At night
The statistics which they published for the
year lS99-19O0 show that fully 30 per cent
of such people remained free from malaria
In some of the worst parts of Italy. and
that Of those people WHO were not protect
ed purpOsely nearly 40 per cent suffered
from malaria during the season. The
method of protecting people by Keeping
away the insects In some mechanical way
or other is thus a very valuable means es-
pecially i'm places where there Is always
danger of contracting malaria
The last matter taken up Is that Of im,
munity. Koch in his African studies found
| u
prevailed the children all have malaria,
but ms these children grow up they no
longer have chills and their blood no longer
contains the parasites In demonstrable mum
hers As adults they are no longer suscept-
lille to H. The same phenomenon has beeh
noted In the case Of cattle though,
strangely enough, they always carry the
/ ngrasite In their blood, which is therefore
| infections to those that are susceptible
| ,sIhe reason why we In this country do not
become immune" says DR.. Smith, us he
| cause as soon as malaria has developed
| within ms we are treated and the parasite
| dies. Our system Is not permitted 10 un-
/ dprgo the peculiar influences Of the para
| Site during long periods of time, which
! leads 10 immunity. so that after a patient
! is treated for one attack OF malaria he
| may contract that disease again another
/ vcnr: he may contract II rs long rs he
/ lives because he is cured M once. the ma
! larial parasite has no chance Of modifying
! his system, and consequently he is always
| susceptible ] think II Is this fact which
has led physicians to speak OF mnlarin as
! n disease toward which we can not acquire
| immunity. There Is no difference between
! malaria and other diseases In that respect,
/ exccpting I'm this tia; h requires very
long time and II probably demands q very
! Youthful system 10 withstand malaria. be-
! fore full Immunity is acquired. Immunity.
i In other words. I'm this part Of the world. Is
! nm impossible ideal. one has to he a native
| African for Il 10 be of any use 10 him.