The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1910-01-29
ERAD. CATION OF
HOOK WORM
The Work of Florida Health
Board Attracts At
tention.
PLAN UNDER WAY
WHICH IS PROVING OF GREAT
EST VALUE TO STATE-WORk
CARRIED ON PRINCIPALLY IN
THE SCHOOLS.

II Will De UldILer OF SrdLluCdtlOu
to all people of this state, says the
Jacksonville Metropolis, to know that
| in the fight against the hookworm dis
ease, Florida stands as the only state
in the Union having a systematic
work under way This fact was i'm
pressed on the delegates of the hook
worm conference held in Atlanta dur
ing last week and naturally the an
nouncement has attracted great atten-
ton to the methods pursued by the
Florida Board of Health in the past
years. The fact that many people
have refused to admit of the state
ments of the medical men not only in
this but in other states of the south
ern part of the country has in no way
lessened the efforts of DR.. Joseph Y.
Porter, state health officer, DIR. Hiram
Byrd, his capable assistant, and
other prominent members of the Board
of Health, and the appreciation OF
their efforts was emphatically recog-
nized at the recent conference.
To Accomplish Results.
Working along with desire to ac-
complish results rather than to gain
fame or renown for their investiga-
tons and labor, the officials of the
Florida Board Of Health have made
greater demonstrations than any other
organization of the country in d1scov-
ering and curing diseased persons
who have suffered for years with hook
worms. but who never knew until in
formed by the officials that they were
infected. While the work and agita-
| ton against hookworms has become
most prominent in the past few
fncS
has been actively engaged in the eradi-
cation Of the disease for six years.
Beginning on a small scale, the Off
Gals today have a systematic plan
under way which is proving Of the
greatest value to the whole state, the
results of which will be more plainly
seen during the next year.
DR.. Porter Interviewed.
DR.. Joseph Y. Porter and Or. Hiram
Byrd were seen at the State Board OF
Health office and although they de-
clared that they had no wish to be adj
vertised they gave some interesting
information to the reporter who called
On them. Specimens of hookworms
taken from patients treated in this
city were shown, and names of chill
dren successfully treated, but too nu-
merous to mention, were given as a
proof of the local extent of the work
DIR. Porter stated that the recent con-
ference at Atlanta was interesting and
instructive but that the Florida auhori-
ties are now equipped with all inror-
nation such as was given at the con.
ference.
In speaking of the methods pursued
in this state, DR.. Porter stated that
there were two experts continually
working in the southern part of Flor
ida, and the Investigations had COW
cred all of Lee county with the most
gratifying results. The work is car
ried on principally in the schools
where the children are examined and
made acquainted with the symptoms
of the disease. Parents and teachers
are also educated as to the Importance
of taking treatment and the observ-
ance of better sanitary rules, and the
conditions of the sufferers in Lee and
Polk counties has been greatly
changed under the educational and
medical assistance.
Free of Charge.
The Board of Health is Carrying on
this work free of charge to the pa
tients, and one of the greatest diff.
cuities met with was the idea prevail
ing among the residents of the state
that it was a charitable work The
State Board of Health is supported by
taxation, and in reality when patients
are treated, they are merely receiving
return for their money such as they
expect from other public offices of the
state government. Despite this gen
,eral but erroneous opinion the officers
have kept on. until at the present time
they have succeeded in covering many
of the objections of the poorer classes
who naturally are the greatest suf-
ferers from hookworm.
The value of the work in Florida
was never shown to a better advan-
tage than when the statement was
made that the trustees of the funds
donated by John D. Rockefeller. would
investigate the work of the Florida
Board of Health before deciding upon
any special plan of operation. This
means that the Florida system has
been accepted as being the most ad.
vanced and the better equipped with
knowledge of how to treat the wide
spread disease. With the accepted au-
thoritative statement of a well known
physician that one-third of the school
children Of the Southern states are in |
fected with hookworm it will easily
be seen what the State Board OF
Health has had to contend with.
A Circular Letter.
The following paragraph from a |
circular letter sent to the physicians
of the state will explain one Of the
methods employed by the State Board
of Health.
1T is>proposed that each case treat
Cd RI F7I
for at the rate of three dollars, which
will include furnishing of thymol, pro-
vided that the history of the case IS
furnished the Office of the State Board
of Health on special blanks, a COPY of
which is herewith attached, after a
diagnosis of existence of the parasite
has been determined by either the
laboratory of the State Board OF