Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1903-03-27
Maryland and Malaria.
From the Baltimore Herald.

A statement was made to the Mornins
Herald that Baltimore was the most mala-
rial city in the United States. Coupled with
It was the charge that the reason Maryland
dld not receive more settlers was because
malaria prevailed to an abnormal extent in
the greater part Of its area. In various forms
ana degrees these accusations against Balti.
more and Maryland are made and publish.
ed. They do harm, Notwithstanding that
they are untrue. In order to obtain the ex-
act facts the Morning Herald put the matter
before DR.. John s. Fulton, the very capable
secretary Of the State board Of health, and
We direct the attention OF everyone TO his
reply, which follows:
baltimore in former days was often said
by her own citizens TO be "malariap city,
but never heard before that Baltimore Is
the most malarial city in the United States
Some OF the best studies ever made In Amer
lea on the subject of malaria have been
made In Baltimore. The material for study
Is not abundant, but the special students are
here. So far as the disease is concerned
these studies could have been made just as
we'll In New York or Boston, and in many
Southern 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 charged to malaria in New Or
leans 81, in st. Louis II, in Boston 8, in
Baltimore 5. The whole number of deaths
charged to malaria In the four cities was as
follows: New Orleans 1877, st. Louis 1874,
Boston 81, Baltimore 5S.
Ask any up to date physician If he be-
lleves that fifty. eight persons ever died in
Baltimore in any year from malaria, and he
will tell you that In this city of 100000 in
habitants there Is not enough malaria to
kill fifty people In twenty. five years. have
seen in my professional life but two deaths
from malaria, both sailors who were infected
In the West Indies. Here, and In Boston
also, the death rate from malaria represents
an ancient delusion which clings to the
minds Of few half.educated physicians.
The deaths are really due to causes which
the doctors fail TO recognize.
In Maryland, outside of Baltimore, mala-
ria claims q rank among causes of death
equal 10 that Of Boston, six in each one
thousand deaths. Malaria Is, however, a
cause of sickness in several parts Of Mary
land. 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
form the basis of the excellent studies made
here came from one or the other of these two
areas.
There is no profit, however, in comparing
Marylsnd with other States, nor any salts.
faction in the evidence that we have less
malaria than our neighbors. The death
records seem to give US a decided sdvan.
tage, but in Maryland and every where else
along the Atlantic coast, throughout the
Mississippi belt, and on the Gulf coast, ma.
laria is an important cause OF sickness, and
ought to be treated as problem In public
hygiene. JOHN s. FULTON.