Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1909-11-03
COMPULSORY EDUCATION
Would Spread Disease In the Rural
SchOOIs--.Range of HoOI<wOrm.
columbia Record.)


Clure's, which was written while she
was guest of the Colonia Hotel
here, after a close study of conditions
about Columbia and elsewhere in the
South, that compulsory education in
South Carolina, under the present
lax of sanitary provision in the ru-
raj schools, means compulsory hook
worm disease, is heartily concurred
in by DR.. William Weston, who has
been conducting examinations for
hookworm disease among Columbia
cotton mill operatives for six or
seven years, during which time he
has made about 1900 examinations,
and found about 700 cases of the
disease. DR.. Weston Is extensively
quoted in the McClures article by
Miss Carter, who had a number of
conferences also with President l.. w.
Parker, head Of number of mills
here and in the upper part of the
State.
Disease Widely Prevalent.
State Health officer Williams said
that the disease Is widely prevalent
over the State, particularly in the
lower haiT or the State, but the State
board has no means of gathering sta
tistics on the number Of cases, the
doctors generally refusing or neg
lecting to answer inquiries. The
State board has issued special litera-
ture on the subject to local boards OF
health, dwelling particularly on how
to prevent the spread Of the disease
by proper sanitary precautions. Dr..
Williams declined to express an opin-
ion as to whether compulsory educa-
tion would mean compulsory hook
worm disease.
The Mill Districts.
In Dr.. Weston's opinion the great
est problem this State and the South
generally has to grapple with is the
health problem. South Carolina
alone, said he, is losing $70,OO0,0OO
Il year in the waste loss of time in
cident to the hookworm disease and
malaria alone. He says the census
reports and Federal medical investi-
cations will prove this. The mill
district here, with the exception of
the employees of one mill, are prac-
tically free from the disease now. the
disease readily and promptly yielding
to medical treatment, and it has been
his experience that operatives getting
free from the enervating Influences of
the disease show a tendency to return
to the farms and make them pro-
ductive.
Concentration Beneficial.
"The cotton mills Of South Caro-
lima, said he, lin my humble iudg-
mcnt. are now being the unconscious
means Of saving the Commonwealth
to condition Of wonderful prosper
ltN. Thelr operatives coming from
the small farms have centercd atten-
be wiped out, which will not only
make the mills themselves wonder
fully successful, but will renew life
in large and important element of
the people, making them we'll, ambi-
tious and productive. have seen
whole families come to the mills here
in an almost starved condition on ac-
count OF their listless condition due
to disease, and have seen these fam
ilies freed from the disease and
make a trunk full Of money"
Disease Causes Insanity.
That the disease produces insanity
was one OF the first experiences Of
DR.. Weston, and which was one OF
the moving causes which led him to
make thorough investigation. lie
was about to commit Richland
the Insane, when he picked uD an
article of DR.. Stiles's. He had the
lunacy proceedings held up until he
could give this man a thorough treat
ment, micrOScOpical examination
showing his system teeming with
hundreds Of the little bloOd-sucking
murderers. The treatment yielded
relief and the man is sound and sane,
productive and happy to-day.
The Rural school.
There is no doubt in the mind of
DR.. Weston that many of the rural
schools spread the disease through
soil pollution. An investigation by
him at one school in Richland county
showed over 60 per cent OF the pupils
suffering from the disease. EXami-
nations conducted at a South Caro-
lima cotton mill under direction OF
the Federal government showed so
per cent OF the operatives infested.
Campaigns Effective.
II have watched campaigns against
the disease at the cotton mills and
seen the result of successful combat
show up in the improved work OF the
operatives. In fact, it has come to
such pass that we can trace the div
idcndS directly after a decisive bat
tie against the disease. Mills in this
state which have been unsuccessful
FOR years under good management
come right out OF the rut and make
money Immediately following a sue
c"SSful fight against the disease"
A iIookworm Conference.
a movement is now on looking to
big convention OF medical men in
Columbia next January to discuss and
take action on this and kindred prob
i"mS. An effort will be made to have
thiS convention mcmOrializc the COM