White Pine news weekly mining review. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1910-1920, 1912-12-01

MEDICAL SCIENCE STAMPING
OFT PARASITE SAID To
HAVE CAUSED DOWNFALL OF
ANCIENT RACE.

red to as the "laziness germ was
the main contributing factor in the
decay of many ancient civilizations
and is today responsible for the
backwardness OF the people OF
China, Central America, India, parts
of South America and the West In
dies, is the startling statement,
backed up by the strongest medical
authority, made by Walter II. Page.
editor of the Worlds Work in the
September number Of that magazine.
Page is a member Of the Hook
worm Commission and in the first
of a series of articles telling how
John d. Rockefeler's money is be-
ing used TO benefit humanity. he
says:
This %debiliating disease has play
"a i%ncalcnlable part in the history
of all warm countries. The present
condition of China, Of India, and of
Central America, and of parts of
South America, and OF the West
Indies Is in great measure accounted
for by its ravages in some of these
countries for many centuries.
practically every country be-
tween SO degrees north latitude and
80 degrees south is infected, and in
lection is found in the mines
of countries north of the SO
parallel, such as Wales, Germany,
the Netherlands, Belgium and France
The countries that have surface
infection, including the United
States contain a population of
about $40 millions. The estimated
population of the globe is 1900
millions. A good deal more than
half, therefore, live in the area of
hookworm infection.
THE degree of infection differs.
In Porto Rico il was estimated at
the time of the American occupation
at fully 80 per zen of the population.
They we're almost wholly an anaemic
people, physically and economically
well-nigh worthless"
1.-The hookworm,' says Page, lis
an intestinal parasite worm about
one-third of an inch long when it is
grown. When of m%iscropic size 1t
enters the body most often through
the skin, generally through the skin
Of the feet because the feet come in
contact with il in polluted soil. The
female worms in the body give forth
an incredible number of eggs, which
hatch when deposited on the soil, and
while yet invisible to the eye enter
the feet. Thence they make a long
journey through the body till they
reach the small intestines, to which
they cling, and give forth a poison
which produces the disease, and lay
more eggs and thus repeat the end
less round of their parasitical life.
As many as $500 worms have been
expelled from a single person; they
have been known to live in a person
for ten years; and they are SO prolific
that a large part of the inhabited
soil of the earth between SO degrees
north latitude and 80 degrees south
is polluted with them. The pollution
occurs, of course, because of the IN
sanitary disposition of human ex-
erement.'
Describing in detail the work of
the Rockefeller Sanitary Commits
sion, he says:
First through state and other To-
cal boards of health, wherever pos
sible a sanitary survey of the several
southern states was made and the
degree of infection published. AL
most every part of the south is in
fected, and here are communities in
which three-fourths of the people
have the disease. Then every state
was divided into sanitary districts.
In every district a local physician
had charge OF the work, all under
the direction Of n state director, who
is in most cases a member of the
state board of health.
1.-The physicians give free treat
ment to all who need it after the
microscopes have made examina-
tons; then they go on to the next
place and the next week repeat the
circuit. A great mass OF literature
on the subject is thus distributed.
One community in Virginia was
found where every individual was
afflicted with the disease. SO mark
ed were the characteristic symptoms
hat they were regarded by neigh
boring communities as being of &
separate race. Treatment by the
nhvsician s of the h~nnkWnrm commits