The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-10-31
ALABAMA WILL
 FIGHT HOOKWORM Interested In Jehn D. ROCkefeI-
 Ier's Offer OLD SOLDIERS ARE NEEDY Reports from North Alabama Indicate That People Are Against Amend ment-North and South Stock
 holders to Meet.
OLD SOLDIERS ARE NEEDY
BY HERvEY w. LAIRD.


 Montgomery, October 30.-(Speeial.)-- The announcement that John D. Rocke- feller has given $1,O00,0OO to fight the hookworm in the south will be of special interest to Alabama, for the reason that the Alabama bacteriological department has been one of the most active of any in It's investigations of this malady. Dr. E. M. Mason and his force have exam ined in the neighborhood of POO specimens. and 76 of these since June l. last. Of the latter number the worm was shown in S9, with 37 negative. This may be taken as an indication of the extent to which the pest has set itself upon the people of the state.
 How To Fight It.
 The hoolSworm, as most all now know, must be fought in care of the people as to sanitary habits. Where there are no sanitary arrangements the human sewage passes to the earth, carrying with it the worm, after dislodgement. Here it is again taken up by the foot of any walk ing thereon, makes its way into the cir culation and by well established stages gets back into the alimentary canal, at- taching Itself to the lining and feeding on the blood that should give life to the patient. In the end the drain is so great that not only Is the person affected deprived of energy and activity, but of the power to fight any disease that may come along.
 Alabama Acted Quickly.
 Most of the Alabama cases are in the southeast section, where there is a lot of thin soil. For many years it was thought the pale people became so from too close contact with the earth, eating dirt in Qpf xrrffI tl, of the worm, doctors in that section were urged to look into it and send speci- mems to the health department here for microscopic investigation, with the result that in many sections work for better san itary conditions has already been going on. The interest of the eastern philan- thropists is, therefore, of special i'm portance in this state, where already in a measure action has been taken to not only break up the enterprise of the worm, but make the people live so as to prevent his further operations
 Old Soldiers Needy.
 The Confederate soldiers who are de- pendent upon the old soldiers home al Mountain Creek to keep them from want and exposure grow In number as the days go by. When J. M. Simpson, the com mandant, took hold three years ago he found 62 there. Now there are 91, with appHcauOHs o1 Otners pending. During his stay Captain Simpson has received 113 applications. buried 4s in the home ceme- tery and sent several others to other places for their last resting place. With 5000 which the veterans of Birmingham are to give him Captain Simpson will erect mess hall and with s15o0 which he has in hand of the home funds erect an- other cottage. greatly needed. Captain Simpson estimates that the home will be a need in the state for at least 15 years yet, as the applications are now on the up grade, and there are over 17,000 now on the state pension rolls.
 Amendment Opinion.
 Judge Joseph H. Nathan of Colbert county, who was a passenger on a south bound Louisville and Nashville train this week, says that all of north Alabama Is going to go against the amendment. Lau- derdale Colbert and neighboring coun- ties will in his opinion. refuse to adopt the plans of the -prohibitionists, even though they have been prohibition in sentiment Judge E. B. Almon of Tus- cumbia at different time, expressed the same general opinion Almost all the