The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1909-11-19
The Lazy Worm.

AhO AAeAhy NNOA"s
The disease, the laziness, lack of
| ambition, anaemia, or whatever you
choose to call it which has for so
many years afflicted the people of the
South known as Crackers" or Poor
| Whites" as well as great deal of
the Incidence of the southern negro
| is now laid to a disease bred in the
human system by minute parasite
called the "hookworm," belonging to
the breed of worms known as uncin-
arinae. The worms breed in the
soil, and are fostered by pollution of
the soil. They either enter into the
human system by boring their way
through the skin or else by being
eaten with uncooked vegetables or
inbibed with unwholesome drinking
water. Once inside the body, these
little parasites fasten themselves on
the walls of the intestines, sucking
the blood and thus lowering the vi
tality and energy of the victim.
In some parts of the South there
| are, as we have known great many
years, large numbers of clay or dirt
eaters. 1t is believed that these peo-
pie have perpetuated the disease by
eating the small worms, with the
clay they have have consumed. Also
it is thought that the parasite has
gotten into the body from the habit
of so many of the poorer classes in
the :, South going barefooted, the
worms burrowing their way into the
| flesh of the feet; indeed one stage
of the malady is known as foot
itch" from the irritation caused to
the foot during the boring process
of the worms. 1t is noticeable too,
that the worms must have hot or
semi-tropical climate to live in; cold
kills them at once. They never could
live in the northern states.
But, at any rate, this attributable
cause of southern anaemia has been
definitel ylocated by pathologists who
have made a study of the malady,
and it is proposed now to take up a
systematic fight against it. To help
carry on this warfare, John d. Rock
efeller has given the sum of a mil
lion dollars, which will be utilized
by commission appointed to make
further Investigations, suggest and
employ remedies and inculcate sani-
tary and hygenic methods of life.
Soil pollution, which, in the first place
breeds the worms, will be stamped
out if possible.
The enconomic loss entailed by the
presence of this morbid condition is
T.. kofa ~
Carolina alone it is said that $780,
100000 a year will not cover the
direct financial loss induced by this
ailment, which devitalizes the adult
and produces an undeveloped and
puny progeny, whose mental weak
ness is about commensurate with its
physical lassitude. The disease is
common in the cotton mills and other
factories of the South, but, of course,
it is more prevalent among the farms
and plantations, with the poorer
classes and farm laborers.
The commission proposes to invite
cooperation on the part of. southern
Boards of Health and also to inaugu-
rate a campaign of education. 1t
will insist that landlords and proprie-
tors take every means available to
stop the pollution of the soil, and
that these who are at present af-
fected, shall at once be treated by
known cheap and easily available
medicines. In this connection, it is
stated that thymol derived from
that common garden herb, thyme),
with Epson Salts will kill the worms
and drive them out of the body. The
southerner at present resorts mostly
to alcohol and patent medicines hav-
ing alcohol as a principal constituent.
Bishop Chandler, of Georgia, re-
sents this proposition to, as he calls
1t, "spend a million dollars to cure
the southern people of laziness," and
he querulously refers to Mr.. Rookie
feller's donation as "a million-dollar
vermifuge fund" But his exagger-
ated notions we are sure will not be
shared by the progressive and en-
lightened Southron generally, who
on the contrary. will welcome any
thing designed to abolish this gener-
al languor and, at the same time
build up the South educationally, in
dustrially and Middle
town Times-PreBs,