The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1909-08-14
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some HEALTH HINTS

q
no THOSE PEoPUE WEo WANT
no KEEP OFF SICKNESS.
.---7zZ =. -
President Of the augusta Board Of
Health Tells How This May be
Facilitated.
IInasmuch as the months Of Au-
gust and September, are regarded as
being the most unhealthy. Of the
year, it. may not, be amiss to lay
before the readrs Of The FINES and
Democrat some facts regarding the
diseases most prevalent at this time,
. and some suggestions as to the best
way in5which they may be avoided:
The most prevalent diseases dur
ing theslate summer months are. ma
laria, typhoid and the summer diar-
rhceas of children; and it is to the
-controIof these three conditions that Is!;
those who would remain healthy
must chiefly devote their attention.
;Dr. Eugene E. Murphey, president
Of the. Augusta moard of Health, gEss
I. out an interview .in.which headiscuss-
es. at length the nature Of typhoid
and malaria, their causes and pre-
ventiye measures which. may be OBJ
served in, guarding against them.
I. Malaria, or, as it commonly CALI
ed, "chills and fever" or "ague,"
is disease due to the infection of
the human body with a2smal AMI
NAL parasite which lives within the
red blood: cells destroying. them,
giving rise to chills, and to fever,
and inducing a high grade of amaze
mia. s,
What is Malaria?
Malaria was formerly believed to
be due to the inhalation of some
kind of noxious vapors or exhala-
tions given off from damp marshes,
or lowlying soil, and which was
technically called "miasmata.'' In
the light of modern medical re-
search the miasm has been proven
to be absolutely non-eXistent, and all
sanitarians today are practically
agreed that malaria fevers are trans
mitted in one way and in one way
alone, viz, by the bite of an infect
ed mosquito Of the genus Anophales.
This particular mosquito is quite
abundant in the swamps and marsh
es around and below Augusta, is
strictly nocturnal in his habits, and
is larger in size than the so-called
"day mosquitoes" which belong to
the genera Culex, and Stegomyia.
That It Is perfectly feasible for peo-
pie who live in comfort, even in, the
most highly malarious sections, pro-
vided they. live, in mosquito-proof
houses, and go. into them at sun
down, is q thing which has been re-
peatedly proven, not only by scien-
lists, but by citizens Of Augusta and
its neighboring territory. who have
followed out the proper appalication
OF the mosquito theory of malaria.
Breed in Water.
Mosquitoes breed in standing ws-
Ger, and eYen-the smallest amount Of
standing water, no more. than
enough to fill a whole basin, or tin
tomato can, may easily give rise
30 enough mosquitoes to infect an
entire neighborhood.. The mosquito
4es lay their eggs in stagnant water.
These eggs shortly hatch out into
a'RiggletaiIs," which in about Il
days are transformed into adult mos
quitoes.
Every citizen should see to it that
no standing water remains upon their
premises. Old. wash tubs, broken
pottery which might hold ran wa
ter, rain water barrels, tin cans. and
the like, should not be allowed upon
the premises, and if present should
be emptied out and kept empty. Any
pool of water which cannt be drained
should be covered at intervals OF 10
days by film of kerosene oil or pc
troleum, which makes it impossible
for. mosquitoes to breed therein.
This is regularly done by the mu-
nicipal authorities.
ANY citizen who is particularly be-
deviled with mosquitoes should re-
port the fact to the local Board of
Health so that they may locate and
breake up the breeding grounds in
the neighborhood. 1t Is well
known fact that the mosquito rarely
wanders more than a few hundred
feet from where he is bred, and the
presence Of mosquitoes in neighbor-
hood shows that there are breeding
places nearby. Weeds and thick
underbrush should be cut down, be-
cause they furnish attractive hiding
places in which the mosquito turks
by day, and when impracticable, mos
quito bars should be used Above
all things. if you have malaria, or
any member of your family has it,
keep the sick patient continuously
under mosquito net, so that the in
sects may not get at him and OBJ
tain an infection which they will GER
tainly pass on to other members of
v0ur a-nilv or your po5ubhDro