El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-07-17

life the Rockefeller Sanitary
commission has brought health to the
bodies, and happiness to the minds of
more than 100000 persons who were
the victims of hookworm disease. Diff
fering from other endowments in that
with a fund of S1.0OO,O00 donated by
Mr.. Rockefeller to be expended for the
eradication of hOokWorm disease in
the United States, the work of the
commission to be done in five years
at an annual expenditure Of $500, 900.
the money has been made to work
more rapidly and more effectively
than any other philanthropic endow-
ment in history.
Not only have more than zoo. 900 per-
sons been treated for hOOkWorm dis
persons been brought into a higher
and better life, but the entire public
OF nine states has been educated in
the essentials of sanitary science.
When the work Of the Rockefeller
sanitary commission is done and the
$l,OOO,OOO is gone, the state in which
inc tund has been expended viii carry
on the WORK VIII spend much more
than S-OO,VOO year, and Will not
cease until they approach sanitary
That the work of the commission has
been done altogether in the southern
states is due solely to the climatologi-
cal circumstance that hook worm dis
ease is not prevalent north of that de-
gree Of latitude corresponding roughly
to-the courses of the Potomac and Ohio
rivers That these nine southern states
mad such climate as to invite the
ravages of the hOOkWorm was indeed
a calamity, but now that sanitary sci
ence and business administration have
struck hands. these same nine states
may yet come to look upon the hook
worm as a blessing in disguise, for il
has given to them the first thorough
and systematic effort to bring about
scientific sanitation in rural communi-
ties ever undertaken in this country.
Work Grows In Volume.
In the year 1911 the Rockefeller San
itary commission expended S14S 600.
The nine states expended in the same
campaign $4,000. IN those nine states
14O,37S persons were treated for the
disease The work in the present
year is proceeding much more RAPIDLY,
and by the end of 1912 it is safe to
predict that fully 100000 persons will
have been emancipated from the blight
ing slavery Of this parasite. In South
Carolina for instance, in one month
this year more cases of hoohwOrm were
treated than If the whole of last
year. In North Carolina in this year
more than $4,000 persons have been
examined ana more thsSl ~, 600 have
been treated forsthe disease
Victims Of nook worm disease suffer
IN proportion TO the heaViness of their
infection. Some persons have the dis
ease who never suspect it, the only
symptoms being lasSitude, lack of en-
durance and frequent headaches 9th
ers who are heavily infected are so
Physically and mentally debilitated
that many of them have been known
to lie in bed for years and years. The
disease is rarely fatal, but il is an
enemy of strength and, therefore, rem
ders everyone of its victims more liza
Bile 10 attacks from other diseases In
lection being usual in childhood, in
bad cases the growth of the body is
stunted. and in every case mental ac-
tivity is retarded Every person who
has been treated has shown marked
Improvement, and as In vast majority
OF cases treatment Is followed by COM
plete cure the symptoms of the dis
ease disappear and the victim is
brought back to the enjoyment of nor
NAL health and strength of course,
a body stunted- by years of the disease
cannot be miraculOusly brought up to
normal size, but otherwise the effects
OF the disease disappear.
For instance, one boy who was Is
years old, but who was SO stunted by
the disease as to appear to be only
seven, had been in the first grade at
to learn TO read He was treated for
hOokWOrm disease in August, he start
ed into school again in September and
by Christmas he was promoted into
the fifth grade, having done four times
more work in the three months than
he had been able 10 accomplish in five
might be repeated indefinitely, but this
article Is to tell of the organization
and work of the commission.
COOpeFates With Health Agencies.
The commission decided first of all
that 1t would cooperate with existing
health agencies in reaching the peo-
PEE who needed the treatme 1t had
Its propaganda carried through the
country by men who were connected
with the boards of health of the sew
eral states. In this way the work was
done and is now being done by men
in whom the people have confidence
In order to show just how the work
is done let US take a specific example.
In Virginia there is state director OF
sanitation, who received his appoint
ment by the joint action of the state
public health authorities and the
is an officer Of the state department OF
health, and clothed with the powers
and responsibilities OF such a position.
He is the organizing and directing
head of the work in Virginia. and is
responsible for the efficiency OF the
service He makes quarterly reports
to the state health authorities and to
the sanitary commission.
Under his direct supervision there Is
a corps of sanitary inspectors. nomin-
ated by the director OF sanitation and
action of the state health authorities
and the commission. They go all over
the state, find where hOokworm dis
ease is prevalent, determine the sani-
tary conditions responsible for the ex-
istence of the disease, enlist the coop
Grafton Of physicians in eradieating it.
provide treatment for the INDECENT. in
struct the teachers and enlist the in
terest OF the community at large in
the work. Each inspector carried
with him microscope, lantern, slides,
and medicine.
Els Visit an Event.
The advent of the inspector in a
hookworm district is an event He
takes his microscope, usually 10 some
drug store, and shows the hookworm
and its eggs to all corners. Then he
has slides which show the condition
of people before and after treatment.
He finds a number of cases of the dis
ease and administers sac remedy. He
gets into touch with the physicians of
the community and enlists their in
terest pointing out the methods of
diagnosis and treatment. and taking
such other steps as Will insure the car
rying on of the work in the future.
Visits to the public schools are fruit
ful of results and one inspector says
his purpose is to make his story SO
simple, so vivid, and so direct that
every child who hears it will feel il
tingle on the bottom OF his bare foot
when he walks on polluted soil.
Not only does the hool6worm inspec-
tor point out how to cure the hook
worm disease but also how to prevent
it. And that is the best part of the
crusade. for the sanitary precautions
il involves. while simple, arc such as
tend in a dozen ways to help the health
conditions Of fthe communities taking
them Combating the hookwerm is