The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-05-29
ENZARoED PHOTO
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f the strength and life of the people; little worm scarcely more than two inches long was poisoning the blood of the people. By order of Brigadier General George w. Davis, then military governor of Puer- | to Rico, Lieutenant Ashford established a field hospital at Ponce. There were l 25j beds for the i'll and food was distribu- | ted daily to all of the hungry. Thous- ands were fed. The food was the same | the American soldier received. It cost l the government forty cents a day for each person. The distribution continued for three months, yet many who had been | fed daily were no stronger.
 Then I smelt rat" pr. Ashford suc- cinctly remarked.
 Noting their extreme palor. exanl~. ined their blood. It showed condition1 ! different from any had ever seen. H contained a remarkably low per centage of hemoglobin, the oxygen carrier and blood feeder. sought the cause. At last I found un- der the microscope the eggs of the uncinaria in their faces. Later 1 noted in great numbers the full grown worms. recognized the parasite as that teohni- callyi known as 'uncinaria, Then under stood"
 Reporting his discovery to his superior officer, Dr. Ashford prepared pamphlet for the informations of the physicians and druggists of the island. Several phy- sicians accepted the discovery and treated toward its advance. one man sacrificing his life in the cause by overwork, but the majority, with the usual professional reticence. awaited an overwhelming de- monstratton. But pr. Ashford was called to other quarters in the line of military duty. When he returned three years later he found the uncinariasls was as preva- lent as when he left. Few sufferers had been cured. The percentage of death from anaemia was high in 1902 as 1t had been before the hurricane At Ponce. to which post he was sent. pr. Ashford found an American physi- can who had taken up the study of and fight against the disease. pr. w. w. King, of the United States Public Health and Marine Hospital Service. for several | years in charge of the port of Ponce. | had spent all of his spare time in the | study of anaemia. These two Ameri- l can physicians joined forces. While at- tending to their official duties they 1 found time to treat the worst cases that | could be found in this district of 40.-
 900 inhabitants Many were almost l moribund. but 90 per cent. were cured l There was a decided fall in the nor tality of Ponce.
 With Government Aid.
 At the suggestion of Governor Hunt
 bill appropriatingf $5.0OO for the
 further study and treatment of anae-
 mia was introduced and passed by the
 Legislature of Puerto RicoS Dr. Ash
 ford, released from his official duties
 by special permission from the Sur
 geon General, was appointed with Dr
 Hogg and Dr. Pedro Gutierrez, na'
 tive physician. as a committee to pur'
 sue the studies.
 Hoping to obtain definite figures a:
 to the extent of the disease and at th'
 same time teach the people of the is
 land that anaemia could be cured, tho
 commission decided to set up temper
 ary hospitals at widely separated
 points. With tents. loaned the Puerto
 Rlcan government by the War De
 partment, the first field hospital of hf'
 ty beds was established on March II
 at Bayamon, a pretty village across
 the harbor from the capital. San Juan
 There were few patients at first
 News travels slowly in Puerto Rico
 and Bayamon is nearly hundred miles
 from Ponce.
 As the news of the cures went aoroao
 the stream widened like spreaolhs
 fan till men, women and children stood in line for hours awaiting the atteh-
 ton of Drs. Ashford and King. FlLy
 new patients arrived each day s ne
 little hospital could have been rehileu
 each morning. Many barely able 10