The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1903-04-23
MARYLAND AND HER MALARIA,
We Are Quite as Free From Tha M4Iady
As Any Oher ate.

We Are Quite as Free From Tha M4Iady
A. Any Oher ate.
A statement was made to the Morn
ing HeGrld that Baltimore was the
most malarial city in the United
States. Coupled with it was the
charge that the reason Maryland did
not receive more settlers was because
malaria prevailed to ali abnormal ex-
tent in the greater part of its area. In
various forms and degrees these ac-
cusations against Baltimore and
Maryland are made and published.
Ihey do harm, Notwithstanding that
they are untrue. In order to obtain
the exact facts the Morni11g Herald
put the matter before DIR. John S.
Fulton, the very capable secretary of
the State board of health, and we di-
rect the attention of everyone to his
reply, when follows:
Baltimore in former days was often
said by her own citizens to be a INA
Iarial'' city, but | never heard before
that Baltimore is the most malarial
city in the United States. Some of the
best studies ever made in America on
the subject of malaria have been
made in Baltimore. The material for
study is not abundant, but as the dis
ease Is conceded these studies could
have been made just as well in New
Y ork or Boston, and in many South
ern and Western cities material for
such studies is vastly more abundant
The figures Of the United States
census for 1900 show that out of every
1000 deaths reported in each of the
following four cities there were char
ged to malaria in New Orleans 81, in
81. Louis ~, in Boston 6, in Baltimore
.. The whole number of deaths charg
ed to malaria in the four cities was as
follows: New Orleans 227, st. Louis
l26, Boston 81; Baltimore So. Ask any
up-to-date physician if he believes
that tifty-eight persons ever died in
Baltimore in any year from malaria,
and he will tell you that in this ciJv of
600, 900 inhabitants there is not enough
malaria to kill fifty people in twenty
five years. have seen in nv pro
fessional life but two deaths from ma
laria, both sailors who were infected
in the West Indies. Here, and in
Boston also, the death rate from ma
lara represents an ancient delusion
which clings to the minds of a few
half-educated physicians. The deaths
are really due to causes which the
! doctors fail to recognize Ia Mary
land, outside of Baltimore, malaria
claims a rank among causes of death
| equal to that of Boston, six in each
| one thousand deaths. Malaria is how
eyer, cause of sickness in several
parts of Maryland. These areas are
pretty well known, and correspond to
! the distribution of the anopheles
mosquito. Two such areas are found
within twenty miles of Baltimore city.
and practically all the cases which
from the basis of The excellent studies
made here came from one or the other
OF these two areas.
There is no profit. however, in com
pairing Maryland with other States,
nor any satisfaction in the evidence
that we have less malaria than our
neighbors. The death records seem
to give us decided advantage, but
IN Maryland and everywhere else
along the Atlantic coast, throughout
the Mississippi belt, and on the Gulf
coast, malaria is an important cause
OF sickness, and ought to be treated
as problem in public hygiene
JOHN S. FULTON.