The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1906-05-05
MANS TROPICAL FOE.
THE HOOkWORM DISEASE A
WORLD WIDE SCOURGE.
Cause Of Sickness and Poverty in
Asia and Africa as Well as in Semi
Tropical Countries. Science S
knowledge of the Pest.-Measures
of Prevention. -...

into prominent notice in the L nlieu
States during the last few years ow-
ing TO the discovery that much OF the
sickness and some Of the adverse
economic conditions Of warm regions
tence. ....
Up to 1898 no authentic case Of the
disease was recognized as such in the
United States. declares the New York
Sun. In 1902 DR. Charles Wardell
Stiles OF the Public Health and Ma
rine Hospital Service showed that
distinct hookworm, which was named
Tncinaria Americana, infests man in
this country.
The anaemia SO prevalent in semi
tropical districts and 50 facilitating 70
a large number of inhabitants is said
10 be almost entirely due to hookworm
disease. According 10 Stiles, dis
trlcts situated on clay soil and cities
are not favorable to the development
Of the malady. but IN the agricultural
regions in which the soil is sandy in
lection takes place readily.
The anaemia is caused by a leech-
like, blood sucking parasite which in
tects the small intestine. Sandwich
Of Cairo, Egypt. believes that the
ancient Egyptians suffered from this
form Of anaemia, as a number of ref
erences tallying with the modern
descriptions Of the affection are found
IN ancient writings.
Within modern times this particular
kind Of anaemia was described in
Brazil by Piso in 1G4S: Iabat, in 1742
Or 1745 observed it in GlIadeloupe,
Chevalier in 1862 in Santo Domingo.
Dazzle and Bason in 1916 in the An
TILES and Edwards in 1.9o-1,93 in
jamaica
In Europe the disease was first noted
among the miners OF Auzin. France. in
1902. The parasite, however. was not
discovered until 1S43. by Dublin Of
Milan. Gresinger in 1884 first show
ed the true relation Of the parasitical
disease to anaemia.
The worm causing the malady is.
says Stiles, somewhat different III Eli /.
rope and in the Old World generally. +
from that Of this continent II is +
known in Europe as tie Ankyiostomi- .
I'M duoderale and here as the Tn +
cinaria Americana.
1t has a remarkably wide distribu-
ton, being found in almost all tropi-
cal and sub-trOpical regions. and in
many parts Of the temperate zone.
In Great Britain the parasite was
unknown until recently
In 1902 there was serious outbreak
If EMBELLISHMENTS in Cornish mines.
In France it exists in the mining dis
tricts. In Belgium and Germany it
prevails largely among the same class.
Among miners working IN the coal
mines Of Hungary the affection is
common. In Italy the disease has
ceen observed on an extended scale,
especially in the provinces of Milan
and Pavia in Lombardy.
In the Far East the maIady is pres
INT almost everywhere. II is exceed
lngly common throughout the Indian
Peninsula and Ceylon Dobson,
Rogers and others have shown that in
Assam, Bengal, and some other parts
Of India from 60 to 20 percent of the
population harbor the parasite.
1t is believed that in some of the
hospitals of Ceylon the majority of :
cases Of dysentery and debility that
come under treatment are due to this
DR.. Thomhill Of Ceylon
states that the more he reflects on
his own experience and the more he
reads of the experience of others, the
firmer does his conviction become
HAT the hookworm is the greatest
enemy of the human race in the
tropics.
In Burmah the worm is widely prev
alent, and it has wide distribution ;
n the East Indian Islands. 1t has also
ndo-China and in Japan; in fact, in +,
some parts of China it is very com
non.
Australia contains many sufferers
rom the hOOkworm disease, while it
lourishes more or less in all parts of
Africa In Egypt the infection occurs
With great frequency, and on the west
cast Of Africa, in the Belgian Congo,
n Mauritius and in South Africa it is
prevalent.
In Central America the hookworm Is U
scourge, and it Is fairly common "A
Ill parts of South America. There U
re but few of the West Indian Il
Stands in which the parasite is not Il
ound, and in porto Rico it is the cause d
f almost all the sickness and pow 9
rty so widespread throughout that n
sland
From the above account it will i,e q
altered that the Lookworm disease r.
as very extensive range, but that
is found mainly in hot or warm I
Inmates, while as cause of perma- II