The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1910-02-02
TELLS ABOUT HOOK WORM
DIR. LAMAR TALKS INTERESTING
LY OF THE NEW DISEASE.
At Place Near Dawson Ninety Per
Cent. of People Affected. Not
Matter For JOkesmiths.

Gent. OF feOpIe Anecte0. Not a
Matter For JOkesmiths.
DR.. L. Lamar, who was appointed
by Governor Brown a delegate to
the Southern Health Conference, bet
ter known as the 'hook worm con-
vention," which was recently held in
Atlanta, talks interestingly about the
meeting and the new disease that
is now engaging the attention of
leading medical men all over the ma
ton There were in attendance up
on the convention members of the
medical profession, scientists, preach
ers, members of various commercial
bodies and number of ladies.
Papers of especial interest were
read by DR.. Charles w. Stiles of
Washington, d. c., on the history and
geological aspects of the hookworm
disease; by DR.. Newton Evans of
Nashville, Tenn, on pathology; by
DR.. Geo. Dock of New Orleans on the
symptomology and by DR.. H. F. Har
ris of Atlanta on the treatment of
the disease. There were also papers
read by DR.. Bass of New Orleans, DR..
Schnausse of Cecil, Ca, DR.. Fort of
Lumpkin, Ca, and others.
Africa Its Home.
Gin these various papers it was
brought out, said Dr. Lamar to The
News, that the hook worm disease
had been known to exist in Brazil
for a number of years. The disease
was probably brought from Africa
by the negroes, which place is it's
natural home; but it now exists in
this country in a number of the
states, but is more prevalent in the
South Atlantic and Gulf states-that
is, from the upper part of Virginia
south and from the middle of Texas
east 1t is not confined to one sec
ton, but seems to thrive more in
the mountainous districts and the
coastal plains; in the fat clay lands
it is not so frequent.
How 1t Attacks You.
Its manner of contraction and
diffusion is as follows: If a person
walks in an infected area of ground
the larvae of the hook worm
attack the feet, and set up what is
known as ground itch. These larvae
or young worms pass though the
skin, and after undergoing some
slight change they go through the
tissues and enter the blood vessels,
and are swept along in the current
of blood until they reach the lungs.
Here, being stopped by the size of
the blood vessels, they again pene-
trate the tissues, and reaching the
trachea they pass up it and are sWal-
lowed and pass through the stom-
ach and enter the intestinal canal,
where they fasten themselves to the
mucous membrane or lining of the
intestines, sucking the blood of their
victim, besides excreting a toxic sub
stance which is absorbed by the alb
sorbents lower down in the intesti-
nal canal. This, with the loss of
blood, produces anemia of varying
extent or degree, often causing the
condition that used to be called dirt
eaters disease.
Live to an Old Age.
''These worms have been known
to live in the intestines for period
of seven or eight years. DR.. Stiles
has very convincing evidence that
they will live for twelve or more
years. DR.. Stiles, who is of the
United States public health and ma
rine hospital service, has studied this
subject carefully, and says there are
two millions of people in the south
effected with hook worm.
Many Near Dawson Have 1t.
"The facts were brought out in
the convention" continued the doc
tor, that there are communities in
Georgia where sixty to seventy per
cent. of the inhabitants have the
hook worm disease, and one factory
was spoken of which is less than one
hundred miles from Dawson where
ninety per cent. of the operatives
are affected in this way, DR..
Schnausse of Cecil, Ga, down near
the Florida line, has treated within
the last few years nearly one thou
sand cases of this disease, and DR..
A. G. Fort of Lumpkin has treated
over six hundred cases in the same
length of time.
At Home Anywhere.
This is a disease primarily OF the
country and sandy land communities,
but there are some cases in almost
every section of the United States,
the prevalency ranging from one or
two per cent. to ninety per cent. of
the population. Thirty-two per cent.
of one class in Tulane University at
New Orleans was found to be infect
ed, and ! think as great number