Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-11-19
FIRST CASE OF HOOKWORM.
Discovery Made in 1868 by DR.. w. w.
Ely in Rochester, N. Y.

N'~' OAhb ANONCllUCi' Az Nv AiiAS
the world is interested because
John u. Rockefeller has given mil
lion dollars to fight the hookworm, and
while bishop of the Methodist church
of the South violently attacks the gift
as ''vcrmifuge fund.-" Rochester finds
that it has the questionable honor Of
having had the first case Of hookworm
ever reported in the United States. 1t
was in 1868 that DR.. William w. Ely,
father of William E. Ely, of this city,
reported in letter to the editor of the
Boston Medical and Scientific Journal
OF March 10, such a case. DR.. Ely de-
Scrlbed case of the chalk-eating
worm found on the mucous membrane
OF child suffering from anaemia in
one of the city hospitals. The case re-
suited In death and was thought to
have been due to uncinariasis, as the
hookworm technically is called.
Professor Dodge of the biological de-
partment of the University of Roches-
ter interrupted the even tenor of his
class in bacteriology on Wednesday of
last week by showing the students a
real specimen of the hookworm, pre-
served in alcohol. The specimen was
taken eight years ago from the intes-
tine of a child operated upon at the
City Hospital. These two cases only
show that even places as far north as
Rochester may have cases of this bale
full parasite.
Other New York places have report
ed cases as well. In 1909, Samuel b.
Ward OF Albany reported q case The
case that of an American physician,
81 years old, who had served in the
United States Army in the Phillip
pines. Death did not result from this
case. In Philadelphia, in 19OO-1901, two
cases were reported, one of them from
Italy.
Scientists have found that the para
site enters the body, while one is at
work upon the ground, or as the case
OF children while they sit at play upon
the ground. This parasite, it has now
been found. is the curse of the poor
whites of the South. Destroying the
capacity for both physical and mental
power, 1t is thought to be the root of
the evil in their dense ignorance. 1t
may affect rich and poor alike. Just a
Few days ago, it was found that the
football warriors of the University of
Georgia were Frustrated in it's CRASH
1t Is said that the Egyptians had an
acquaintance with the parasite $500
years ago so that it wasn't created
yesterday, nor the day before. Goeze.
German clergyman, gave the worm
us name IN 1882. He called it first the
round halr worm," which, odd to say,
was the very name that Professor
lodges students ncknamed it the 9TH
er day without knowing it's nature. The
two hooks" from which it gets its
name are at the end of it's tail
Ii your friends show propensity for
officiating, they may have hoolkworms.
ior mat IS one of the symptoms. The
worms are half an inch long. They
suck the blood. produce minute hem
oranges and are thought to produce a
substance which acts as a poison. They
lay eggs in the intestines which hatch
IN "a hours after leaving the BODY. The
worm enters the body through the
mouth by means of infected food or
may penetrate directly through the
SKIN. 1t attacks women and children
especially
Inc symptoms are -bloated face.
dropping shoulders, prominent abJo-
men and thin legs and arms. The dis
ease occurs chiefly among farmers,
miners and brickmakers, those who
work about the soil.
Thymol and male fern are chiefly
used in effecting cures. The patient Is
given milk and soup diet for three
days before starting the treatment.
The disease is thought to affect 2,oOc
900 people. but fortunately it is curab,e