The Morris County chronicle., 1909-11-02
JOHN o. ROCKEFELLER GIFT
TOKILL HOOKWORM DISEASE
A Million Dollar Fund to Be Spent
by a Commission of Twelve.
MAGNATE'S TRIBUTE TO SOUTH

The Donor Says This Testifies to His
Appreciation of the Courtesy He
Met There - Aggressive Cam
paign Planned at Meeting.
New York City.-Money that may
save 100000 lives has been given, il
was announced, by John d. Rookie
feller. The oil man has created a
fund of $1,00O,000 to stamp out the
hookworm disease. Two million men!
women and children of all classes are
suffering from the plague in the
South. Rockefeller has selected
twelve scientists and educators as a
commission to fight the disease.
The gift has been accepted by the
twelve men under the conditions sug-
gested by Mr.. Rockefeller, and they
have organized as the Rockefeller
Commission for the Eradication of
the Hookworm Disease and have
taken steps toward Incorporation
These are the members of the COM
mission:
DR.. William H. Welch, professor Of
pathology in Johns Hopkins Uni
versity; president iof the American
Medical Association.
DR.. Simon Flexner, director of Rookie.
feller Institute for Medical Re-
search.
Dr.. Charles W. Stiles, Chief of the
Division of Zoology, United States
Public Health and Marine Hospital
Service, and discoverer of the
American species of hookworm and
the prevalence of the disease in
America.
DR.. Edwin A. Alderman, president Of
the University of Virginia.
DR.. David F. Houston, chancellor of
Washington University, st. Louis,
Mo.
Professor P. P Claxton, professor Of
education in the University of Ten
nesSee.
J. Y. Joyner, State Superintendent of
Education in North Carolina, and
president of the National Educa-
tional Association.
Walter H. Page, editor of The World s
Work.
H. B. Frissell, principal Hampton In
stitute
Frederick T. Gates, one of Mr.. Rookie
feller's business managers.
Starr ]. Murphy, Mr. Rockefeller S
counsel in benevolent matters.
John D. Rockefeller, Jr.
Mr.. Rockefeller wrote this letter
] to the educators and scientists, invit-
ing them to meet his representatives
! at the Standard Oil Company's office,
No. 26 Broadway:
"Gentlemen-For many months my
representatives have been inquiring
! into the nature and prevalence of
'hookworm disease and considering
| plans for mitigating its evils | have
delayed action in this matter only
until the facts as to the extent of the
/ disease could be verified and the ef-
! fectiveness of it's cure and prevention
| demonstrated.
| "The wide distribution and serious
effects of this malady, particularly in
the rural districts of our Southern
States, first pointed out by DR..
Charles Wardell Stiles, OF the United
States Public Health and Marine Hos
pital Service, have now been con-
firmed by independent observations
of other distinguished Investigators
and physicians, as we'll as by edu-
Gators and public men of the South.
knowing your interest In all that
pertains to the well-being of your fell
low-men and your acquaintance with
this subject, / have invited you to a
! conference in the hope that it may
| lead to the adoption of well-consid-
cred plans for cooperative move
ment of the medical profession, public
health officials, boards of trade
churches, schools, the press and other
agencies for the cure and prevention
of this disease.
"If you deem it wise to undertake
this commission l shall be glad to be
permitted to work with you to that
! end, and you may call upon me from
time to time for such sums as may be
needed during the next five years
for carrying on an aggressive cam
paign,. up to total of one million
dollars ($1 900, ,0O0).
While it would be a privilege to
act in any movement which offers as
surance of relieving human suffering
1t is a peculiar pleasure to me to fee
that the principal activities of your
board will be among the people oi
our Southern States. 1t has been my
pleasure of late to spend portion oi
each year in the South, and / have
come to know and to respect greatly
! that part of our country and to enjoy
the society and friendship of many oi
its warm-hearted people. 1t will
therefore, be an added qualification te
me If in this way l may in some
measure express my appreciation Of
their many kindnesses and hospitals
ties. Very truly.
JOHN d. ROCKEFELLER.
The hookworm has been called
fiippantly the "lazy bug" 1t makes
men lazy because it makes them unfit
for work. 1t is microscopic worm
a parasite, which originates in pol.
luted soil and enters the human body
through the pores of the naked feet
of farm laborers or is swallowed with
food taken from mud stained hands.
The disease, unless very far ad-
vanced, yields to treatment readily;
thymol and beta-napthol are the
drugs most efiicacious.