Evening journal., 1905-07-05
PORTO R|CANS
WILL Be ACTIVE
Uncle Sam Discovered They
Were Afa cted With a
Lazy Worm"
ARMY SURGEONS TO THE RESCUE
ey william WoIff smlth.

Washington, ID. c.. July 5.-The
Federal government has expended
thousands OF dollars in fighting bugs of
various species. Sizes colors and dis
position that do havoc to the crops,
but It's latest crusade is of far more
interesting character. Agriculturists
have 10 take a back seat in this latest
conflict and permit the doctors to so
to the front. This latest enemy
against which the government is
showing its aggressiveness Is known as
the lazy worm" from which ninety
five per cent. of the Porto Ricans liv-
ling within a specified area of the island
are suffering. II is not difficult to de-
scribe the lazy worm II is the
thing that makes its victim lazy.
When the sborigines had that tired
feeling they went into the woods. dug
a few herbs, stilled them and drank
the brew and thought no more about
lit.
But science, ever on the stride has
discovered more than germ, more
than bacillus; ii is the discoverer Of
la full hedged worm whose mission i'm
life is to make the inhabitants OF our
new island i'm the West Indies miser-
ably lazy. SO the warfare has begun
and Captain B. X. Ashford assistant
surgeon in the army, is in command
of the invading force.
According to a report from Captain
Ashford which has been received at
the War Department there are 100000
people living in the immediate vicinity
lof Aibonot i'm the center island of
Porto Rico He says that fully 95 per
cent. Of this number are afflicted with
this peculiar worm. The Porto Ricans
have never understood the disease.
They simply knew they we're lazy. that
they were afflicted. but thought them
selves incurable. Last year there was
Ian appropriation Of $4,000 for the treat
ment of this disease and "A study of its
lpeculiarities. With this appropriation
$500 cases were treated. success re-
suting in almost every case. For this
year the appropriation was increased
Ito $4,000. Headquarters aud field
Hospital have been established near Al
bonito.
The cures Of last year have aroused
the victims Of the lazy worm" to a
state of enthusiasm never before
dreamed possible and they are apply
ling I'm great numbers at the hospital
for treatment. There are some sec
ltions OF the United States where the
results of this treatment will be watch
led with keen interest. II may not be
1.-THE lazy worm" that is responsible for
Isimilar conditions further north, but
1.-THE impression exists that something
might be done elsewhere to put a little
l"ginger" into some classes OF our pop
lulation. The possibilities Of Or. Ash
lford's experiments are brilliant. espe-
lcially If he can discover a counter ir-
ritant that will have the opposite ef-
feet.
Washington is enjoying a good laugh
lat the expense Of Representative John
Wesley Gaines. Of Tennessee. II ap-
pears that Mr.. Gaines had dispute
with a laundry clerk i'm Nashville.
Tenn. in which Mr.. Gaines maintained
that the clerk violated his promise as
to the time when the Congressman s
washing should he returned. The
clerk. taking exception to Mr.. Gaines
remarks handed him one on the nose.
This led TO a brief but lively encoun-
tier which was declared a draw by the
lchief of police who arrested both on a
charge Of assault and battery. Dur
ling the excitement young lady clerk
tainted. but whether she was concern
ed over the welfare OF the clerk or the
Congressman does not appear. Mr..
lGaines will probably make this the
subject of one of the numerous
speeches with which he entertains his
colleagues in the House day by day.
Arrangements have been made by
the Weather Bureau to further con-
serve the safety of ocean vessels by
, transmitting storm warnings to at least
1.-TWO Of the wireless telegraph stations.
The navy supports a wireless telegraph
station on the lightship on Diamond
Shoals or Cape Hatteras and another
off Navisnk Highlands. From these
stations warnings can be flashed Ia
ships far out on the ocean. thus en-
e abling them to prepare for the storm