The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1908-09-23
THE VAMPIRE OF THE SOUTH. -"
Ihe hookWOrm Disease and the Pos
sibilities OF its Eradication.

The greatest discovery If an age
abounding in wonders of electricity.
ihecnahlcs and so on, which fairly
make miracles commandments after
all none Of these, but the discovery Of
the germ. 1t is no longer possible to
speak of "the germ theory " the mi
crope is fact, and it is revolution
izings medical practice. One of the
most strange and weird Of all was an
nounced few years ago as "the germ
or laziness;" and the name uncinaria
Americana was the subject of much
mocking laughter, as also was the
finding Of the source Of yellow 1eyer
typhoid fever and malarial fevers in
parasites Of different species OF mo-
squitoes. Yet as the mosquito theory
Is now universally recognized as
truth, proved by scientific evidence
and tested in actua: treatmnt, so it is
to be with the story Of uncinaria, and
the disease called degenerate laziness
by critics Of the Southern "po Or
whites" for it is not of the Northern
climes, this disease; it is a tropical. or
sub-tropical evil-as The Atlanta Con.
stitution calls it, "The vampire OF the
South" And it is appalling to con-
ceive that it is a part of the curse of
negro slavery.
The Constitution devotes a page to
the full description Of this hideous
parasite, with cuts illustrating it's life.
and the tale Of it's results, as proved by
the secretary Of the Georgia board of
health, DR.. H. F. Harris, who has
been for several years fighting the
disease caused by the hookworm, as
1t Is graphically named in common
parlance. 1t appears that the spe-
cihc name of the uncinaria, or hook
worm, Americana" is not truthful.
for though it reaches 1t most alarm
ing proportions here, the parasite was
detected seventy years ago, in Milan,
and It's effects in producing the dis
ease established. 1t is known in
Africa primarily, in parts of Southern
Asia, and in Southern Europe. and it
came here from Africa without doubt.
Epidemics Of uncinariasis, or "the
lazy Sickness" have occurred ia
Egypt, and sometimes in parts of
southern Europe. But nowhere has
IL become scourge as in the South
ern United States.
The means by which the hookworm
enters the human system is through
the bare foot 1t breeds in water or
In moist soil or wet grass, and the
embryo bores into the sole Of the foot,
making its way through the body, un-
til 1t reaches the intestines. where It
develops and lays it's eggs, feeding
IN generation after generation by its
sucker-like mouth upon the mucous
membranes, destroying the blood, and
gradually wearing down the vitality of
the victims, until they are simply in
capable of action, and thus is created
the deplorable specimen of humanity
known as 1.-THE poor white" one of
the constant reproaches Of the South.
sometimes the progress Of the disease
Is rapid, but GENERALLY it is a linger-
Ing death. and the "clAyeaters" of Ger.
tain regions are simply in one stage
OF the disease. which makes appetite
abnormal. But a more horrible in
strument of the continuance and
spread Of the disease is the fact that
there are not only no waterclosets, in
vast tracts Of the sandy Southern
States. but no sort OF provision for sae
dicharge Of the human excreta,
where they may be dealt with in bulk
and rendered harmless, but the most
primitive resort to woods and way
sides prevails, and as practically all
the people go barefoot the hookworm
has a free field Particularly is this
the case with little children, who are
ifhicted with what is totally called
ground Itch"
And yet the remedy, preventive or
curing is very simple. A few cents
worth Of the drug thymol, followed by
relaxing medicines, is asserted to be a
certain cure, and for preventive there
Is nothing to do but wear shoes. The
disease is unknown in cities where
more or less decent arrangements are
made, and where shoes are customa-
rily worn. In fact, DR.. Harris and
to the Constitution, warrant that the
parasite and it's disease can be exter-
minated. Figures are given which