Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1903-02-20
is A RARE DISEASE.
Parasitic Invasion Which Leaves
Sufferer Incapable Of Exertion.
Penetrate Mucoas Membrane of In-
testines and Produce Extreme
Insrtia-Class Of Workmen
Most Liable to Attack.

There Is no prospect OF an. invasion
of the ''lazy disease unless the phase
known as ennui in high-class phrase
ology spreads throughout the city.
Physicians declare that the case OF
~ankylostoma discovered in the Johns
Hopkins hospital, in Baltimore, has
no reference to the common term, SO
when a man says he is suffering from
laziness he cannot attribute it to a
parasitic invasion, says the Chicago
Record-Herald of recentdate.
Naturally the English term used by !
DR.. Charles w. Stiles in referring to
the case in the Baltimore hospital
would convey to one the idea that
lazy disease" has some reference to
the feeling Of lassitude and inertia,
which is known to prevail among the
class scientifically designated the
genus hobo. Local physicians, how
ever, insist this is not true, and say
the tramp should not be given an ex-
use for his desire to avoid manual
exertion.
When asked if they thought the in
diyidual who pleaded before a Maxwell
street justice recently that he had not
worked for 12years vas suffering from
a~nkylostoma or lazy disease" each
medical expert said: mo; that was
laziness Of a different type"
1.-THE tramp is lazy because he likes
it." said DR.. John B. Murphy, land not
from any physical ailment. the case
referred to in dispatches concerning
a man in the Johns Hopkins hospital
has reference to a rare disease.
Ankylostoma, or the term lazy dis
ease has no connection with the com
mon or accepted term. 1t is a parasitic
invasion of the duodennm,''
Record of only one case being treat
ed in the city was discovered. A few
years ago a. southern man entered the
county hospital suffering from ankyl-
ostoma. DR.. Joseph A. Capps treated
the man, who was afflicted practically
with the symptoms described in the
Baltimore sufferer. Parasites known
under the medical term OF u%ncinaria
~duodenalls had penetrated the mucous
membrane of the intestines, causing
a serious loss of blood. They likewise
produced lassitude and inertia, leav-
ing the sufferer without II desire for
physical exercise. DR.. Capps wrote a
history of the case at the time, and it
was reported in the medical journals
as a unique and rare disease.
The statement concerning the con.
dition of the patient in the Johns Hop
klns hospital is scientifically correct
said DR.. David r. Brewer. THE dis
ease called a~nkylostoma is a rare
thing, and to the best of my ~recollec-
ton has only been discovered once OF
twice in this country. The relation Of
that parasite is comparatively of re-
cent discovery. Typhoid fever has
many of the same symptoms, but such
estimation as that existing in the case
OF the man IN Baltimore is practical.
~ new"
DR.. Bertram w. sippy said he had
personal knowledge of but one case
of "lazy disease" that being the one
told OF by DR.. Caps. Gases, of this
Kin OF disease always come from the
SOUTH" said DR.. sippy, ''and there they
usually are found in the mountains,
They are not numerous. 1 recall a
sketch OF the disease in connection
with the St. Gothard tunnel. Tunnel
workers are more likely. to suffer
from it than any other class. and in the
work there se"eral instances are said
to have been found in which the work.
men a been attacked by these para.
Aites."
DR.. Arthur Dean Bevan and DR.. Hen.
~ 1. Byford said they had not met
with any case of ankylostoms in their
practice, although both had heard Of
~ case treated by DR.. CappA