Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-04-24
HOOKWORM ACTIVE
Prevalent Among Children in
Richmond County, Va.
INVESTIGATION is MADE
Out of Thirty-Nine Pupils Exam
ined, Thirty-Seven Are Found
to Be Affected.

Investigation of hookworm infection
among the school children Of Richmond
county, Va, has been carried On by Dr.
Charles W. Stiles and DR.. Charles
Crane of the public health and marine
hospital service. The examination was
undertaken on the application Of DR..
A. c. Fisher of Emmerton, Va There
were thirty-nine children examined, and
all of these were found to harbor the
eggs of hookworm, with the exception
of two, who had moved into the region
from Washington only last fall. This
made a ratio of infection Of 94S per
cent
The report on the cases to the marine
hospital service contains many figures
showing the average lack OF develop
ment Of the children, which varies from
nine months to five years, according to
the extent of the infection.
All the children were studied as to
the sanitary conditions under which
they lived. 1t was found that home
conditions were about as inSanitary as
it was possible to have them, and that
the children We're thus exposed to the
maximum of infection. All had spent
their entire lives on farms, with the
two exceptions noted.
Danger Is Realized.
DR. stiles, who is in charge of the
hookworm investigation for the marine
hospital service, has just returned from
a three-week trip through the south
In speaking Of the work to a Star re-
porter he said:
There was at first a good deal of
prejudice against some of the state
ments made as to the extent of hook
worm infection. but the business men
and state authorities of the south have
begun to realize the extent of the in
lection, and are beginning also to work
against It.
Take the case OF the Virginia school
children referred to in the report That
amining merely suspected cases, but
where a whole school was inspected,
and where we have the results checked
by two men.
I'VE have been trying to tabulate the
sanitary defects of the outlying southern
districts Comparatively few returns are
in, but those SO far received from loca'
physicians show a lack of even the most
elementary sanitation among about 90 per |
cent of the whites and a much worse con- |
|dition among the colored people. Even |
where outhouses are installed there are
few that are so arranged as not to be |
sources of infection.
Conditions in the Country.
The average person who goes south |
|ville. Montgomery and New Orleans.
There he gets absolutely no idea Of the
conditions in the country districts. You
must go into the country to know the
SOUTH.
being done in fighting the hookworm. and |
replied that Surgeon General Wyman was |
hoing everything that could be legally |
lone In the way of helping and coop |
NIT fha Sfofo ant
tally in spreading information and send
ing qualified men to address medical con- |
entions and to confer with local health
authorities.
He said that an active campaign was
icing started by Florida, Virginia and |
AIabama, and that practically all of the |
Their southern states were preparing to
AXE active measures.
In regard to the Rockefeller campaign, |
L which nothing much has been heard !
htely. DR.. Stiles said that the commission |
as carrying on very quiet, but at the
anne time very active, campaign, at |
resent largely one of education.
Thymol Found Effective.
The victims Of the hookworm disease.
Q said, who are treated by the thymol
lethod recover and are permanently |
Ired, but are. Of course. open to re-
fection. The whole situation, he said, |
serious and pathetic and worth the |
ost careful attention. The children who |
re- treated and recover have chance to !
gain some OF the lost ground of which |
Iey have been cheated in their youth |
he adults are able and willing to do a |
|ll days work where before they could |
ork only half day.
DR.. Stiles said there was reason to be- |
I'VE that the infection Of the soil would |
Q out as the tick infection among south |
cattle died after perhaps a year of |
eedom from reinfection. but this was a |
after on which positive data had not yet |
en- accumulated The infection had |
ed in the hygienic laboratory for five |
pnths in water. but just how long it |
Pu1d live In the ground had not yet been |
termined. *