Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1909-12-08

brane, from the blood of which II
obtains its nourishment. From time
to time it moves and again takes hold
y of the membrane in a fresh place.
Like all parasites, the hookworm
). is very wasteful of the food supply
which it takes from it's host, using
/ only the plasma of the blood for its
! nourishment, the blood corpuscles
passing through it unaltered and un-
absorbed.
The female produces an enormous
and never-ending stream of eggs.
which are passed out in the feces of
/ the infected individual. Fortunately.
these eggs never develop into the
adult worm within the body, but once
deposited on earth, their growth and
development is rapid. In one day
1 the embryo worm is Matched out from
the egg, and after five days of rapid
! growth, during which it "casts it's
! skin" four or five times, it ceases
! further growth until again introduce
ed into the body of human being.
! While in the dormant stage it can
live for weeks or months, taking no
nourishment and finding mud or
damp earth or muddy water a most
suitable environment.
There are two ways in which the
embryo worm may gain entrance to
the intestinal tract. First, by being
swallowed in the drinking of con-
taminated water, or by being deposit
ed in the mouth by eating with the
hands soiled with mud which con-
tains the embryo worm. The most
common mode of infection, however,
is through the skin.
In 1898 Loos, in Egypt, hsowed
that the contact of the healthy skin
with mud or water containg the en-
bryo worm produced severe in
fiammation, and that about two
months later the worms were present
in the intestinal tract. The imma-
ture worms push their way through
the intestines, and this is as true as
regards infections of the hands or
face as it is of infection of the feet.
AS little time as minutes of con-
tact of infected mud or water with
healthy skin will result in infection
with the disease. Five weeks after
the embryo worm has reached the in
testinal tract it has attained it's adult
form and the symptoms of the dis
ease appear.
The general appearance of victim
in case of long duration Is that of
failure of development, both mental
ly and physically. The skin is waxy
white to yellow or tan color, in
many cases it looks like tallow, and
in the south is often spoken of as
the Florida complexion" The face
has an anxious, stupid expression,
and in the later stages, is swollen
and 'bloated." The eyes present
the typical pallor of anemia. being
chalky white in color, with enlarged
pupils, swollen lids, and stupid
staring expression, which is so char
acteristic of the disease.
The abdomen is enlarged, pot
bellied," and the unfortunate victim
complains of pain or sense of I'M
easiness in its upper part, which is
| increased by pressure, but for time
may be relieved by the taking of
| food. The appetite may be poor, but
more often IL is ravenous, and there
are dyspeptic troubles of various
kinds and degrees. The taste is of
ten perverted, and there is craving
for mud, earth, lime or even cigar
ashes, and in one case the patient
ate live mice.
There may be fever in some cases, ]
while in others the temperature is
persistently subnormal. The pulse is
rapid and the blood becomes pale
fluid as thin as water and containing
but fraction of its normal coloringl
matter or corpuscles. The musclesI
ARE flabby and tire quickly on exer-I
ton, often they are the seat of a dull
ache. There is great general phys
ical weakness, the slightest EFFORT
causes fatigue. Emaciation may bel
present early, but is usually seem
only in the late stages of the disease.
If unrelieved by treatment, the pa
tient drags on a miserable existencel
until death comes.
The cure of the disease in the in
dividual is caused by the taking of
purgative, preferably EPSON salts,
the night before the specific treat
ment is given. This consists in the
administration at s a. m. of thirty
one grains of thymol, followed twol
hours later by another dose of the
same amount and then in two hours
more by purgative dose of salts.
This will remove either all or nearly
all the worms.
The economic loss, not only to the
individual is his inability to earn
wages, but to the community in gen.
eral by reason of a deficiency in
the cultivation of crops or manufac-
lures is appalling. In some places it'll
may reach as high as 60 per cent.
Another serious factor is the stunted
mentality of those children who
either have the disease or who arel
the offspring of afflicted parents.
The seriousness of the situation in
Porto Rico is well illustrated by the
fact that in 1904, 80 per cent of the
rural population were infected and
one-third of all the deaths that oc-
CURED on the island were caused
by this disease.
In 1907 and 1908 the large num-
Der of 1875 cases were treated,
with the result that 25,757 were
cured, 1892 practically cured, 49,
203 improved, 26,569 under treat
ment, sci unclassified and SO died.
The cost in comparison with what
has been accomplished is but little,
averaging but slightly more than 81
cents for each person who received
treatment.
Equally good results will un-
doubtedly be attained by the Rookie
Teller commission and a new era of
e.