New-York tribune., 1909-10-29
10 Eight HOOK WOR M
ROCKEFELLER GIVES
4 MILLION.
Commission Formed to Wage
Var on the MaIddy IN the
Southern States.

gift of one million dollars by John
ID. Rockefeller to fight the "hookworm
ulsease' was announced at the offices of
the Standard Oil Company yesterday
dozen Well-known educators and
scientists, in large part from institutions
of learning in the South, where the para
site is prevalent, were called in confer
ence with Mr. Rockefeler's representa-
tives at the Standard Oil offices. at No
26 Broadway, last Tuesday and at that
meeting Mr.. Rockefellers desire to or
ganize commission to carry on cam
paign against the malady was discussed.
AS result, the Rockefeller Commission
for the Eradication of the Hookworm
Disease was organized. The members
of this commission, as selected by Mr..
Rockefeller. are:
DIR. William H Welch, professor of
pathology in Johns Hopkins University,
president of the American Medical AS
sociatiOn; Dir. Simon Flexner. director of
| Rockefeller Institute for Medical Re
search; DIR. Charles w. Stiles, chief of
the Division of Zoology, United States
Public Health and Marine Hospital Ser
vice, 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: P. P. Claxton. professor of
education in the University of Tennes-
see; j. Y. Joyner, State superintendent of
Education in North Carolina and presi-)
dent of the National Educational AS
sociatiOn; Walter H. Page, editor of
The Worlds Work; DR. H. B. Frissel.
principal Hampton Institute; Frederick
T. Gates one of Mr.. Rockefeller's bust
ness managers; Starr ]. Murphy, Mr..
Rockefeller's counsel in benevolent mat
ters, and John D. Rockefeller jr.
All but Professor Claxton and Mr..
Joyner were present at the meeting
Tuesday, and they have both 'since ac-
cepted places on the board.
NOT CONFINED TO THE POOR.
The members of the commission. in
framing reply to Mr.. RockefeIler's
offer of $1,0O0,00O, declared that the
proposition met with their heartiest ap-
probation. Two million of our people
are infected with this parasite" they
added. 1t is by no means confined to
one class; il takes its toll of suffering
and death from the intelligent and we'll
to-do as well as from the less fortunate"
Mr.. Rockefeller wrote the conferrees:
For many months my representatives
have been inquiring into the nature and
prevalence of 'hookworm disease" and
considering plans for mitigating its evils.
| nave delayed action in. this matter only
et..f ..NE- nf No
ease could be verified and the effectiveness
of its cure and prevention demonstrated
If you deem it wise TO undertake this
commission shall be glad to be permitted
to wOlk with you to that end, and you
may eau upon me from time TO time for
such sums as may be needed during the
next five years for carrying on an aggres-
sive campaign UP to total of $,00o0OO.
While it woulo be a privilege 10 act IN
any movement which offers assurance of
relieving human suffering. it is a peculiar
activities Of your board will be among the
people of our southern states, 1t has been
my pleasure of late to spend a portion or
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 of It's warmth hearted
people. 1t will therefore be ar added graft
fication 10 M If in this way / may be,
some measure express my appreciation OF
their many kindnesses and hospitahties
THANK MR.. ROCKEFELLER.
The reply, signed by all the members
of the commission, reads;
Your generous offer to pay such sums
as may be needed during the next hVe
years up TO eotal OF N'V0OVO TO
carry on a scientific and popular cam
paign for eradicating 'hookworm disease
has our heartieSt appreciation and we &C
cept your invitation TO administer this
trust with keen appreciation of the op-
portunity that you give us to do a great
! public good
er the vitality of those who are affected
/ as to retard their physical and mental
/ development, render them more susceptible
/ TO other diseases make labor less efficient,
/ and in the sections where the malady IS
J most prevalent greatly increase the death
I rate from consumption, pneumonia, ty-
phoid fever and malaria. 1t has been
| shown that the lowered vitality of multi
/ tudes long attributed to malaria and eli
mate and seriously affecting economic
! development, is, in fact, largely due in
/ some districts to this parasite
Widespread and serious the infec-
! tion is there is a most encouraging out
look The disease can be easily recog-
nized readily and effectively treated and
/ h,- ei,nDle and proper sanitary precautions
/ successfully prevented
The "hookworm," according To New
! York medical authorities, is a hairlike
parasite TO which is charged a form OF
anemia prevalent especially among the
/ poor people of the South. 1t was not
until recent years that members of the
medical profession recognized that
parasite caused the malady.
In December 1902, DR.. Charles Ward
well stiles. then a zoologist in the Bureau
of Animal Industry. at Washington, who
had been studying intestinal parasites,
announced to the Pan-American Sani-
tarv Congress his conviction that the So
called '1azness" or 'shiftlessness"
widely observed in certain parts of
the south was a specific disease, due to
the "hookworm" Many members of the
congress expressed surprise at the an
nouncement, and up to the present time
the disease has been matter of some
! controversy.