The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-03-31

From the New York Sun.
 TN lecture before the Harveian
 society pr. Thayer. the successor
 x to Dr. Osler in the chair of prac-
 tice in Johns Hopkins hospital, has recently declared emphatically that the neglect of 10000 deaths from malaria
 in the United States is a disgrace to
 this nation. when the successful com
 bat of Italy and Greece with this |scourge is considered. And the doctor
 proved his contention by facts and ng-
 ures.
 The precautionary measures for pro-
 lection against malaria are so simple
 and obvious that it would seem crim-
 inal to neglect them. They require oniy persistent, systematic and alert atten- tion. The Investigations of the Italian physician Rossi, the English army sur geon Ross and the American army sur geon Gorgas offer indisputable evil dence that certain types of posquitoes are the carriers of the injecting 'plas- modium," and that these mosquitoes breed in shallow water md that if their bites can be avoided infection may be avoided. For the latter purpose cover ing exposed parts of the body with netting and not sleeping in recently oc- cupied but vacant houses are the only personal precautions demanded when awake; and during sleep the bed should be protected by netting suspended over lit and tucked beneath the mattress. All grass and undergrowth must be re- moved within a. hundred yards of the house or tent. Stagnant water con tained in pools and vessels, but more important still because overlooked, in broken crockery or glass. in oyster shells, crumpled tin. etc, should be re- moved; indeed, the smaller the quantity the more favorable for breeding Is the
 water. Large pools must be drained
 or treated frequently with crude pe- troleum.
 The observations of pr. Ross at
 Ismailia on the Suez canal are so con vincing that they deserve brief men, ton. At this post the number of deaths
 from malaria during the years 1900 to 1902 was 5s25; after inauguration of these measures in a systematic man. ner the number of deaths was from 1903 to 1905 only 361, and during tho three succeeding years there was not one death. In Havana the number of
 deaths in 1896 and 1897 was 1859; they
 were reduced under Dr.. Gorgas' admin istration to 21 in 1909 and 1910.
 The most valuable lessons to be derived from this lecture are contained in the statement of the methods adopted by the Italian and Greek governments for OK terminating malarial fever. The manner of treating dwellings and grounds is ex- plained fin bulletins by societies and by the officials. The most successful use or
 quinine for prevention of relapses Is pub-
 lished on placards. and ingenious adver-
 tisins of the cheap quinine manufactured
 by the government is done on cigarette
 packages sold by the government mono poly. By this active, systematic and uh-
 remitting propaganda large agricuiturai
 districts formerly uninhabitable have
 been opened to cultivation. thus compen-
 sating the nation for its outlay. oulnine
 is also furnished free to impecunious per
 sons whose low resisting capacity renders
 them peculiarly liable to the disease.
 rhese methods are also adopted by the
 government of Greece with the same ia-
 vorable result. The military campaign of Dr. Gorgas in the canal zone. where he employs a brigade of inspectors and mosquito killers, has brought about such good results that it would seem an indefsnsible neglect on the part of the government in Washing ton to delay similar campaign for the destruction of the mosquito breeding places in the worst malarial regions of the United States. which. according to | Dr. Thayer, furnish the almost incredible number of 10000 deaths annually. In fact
 some experiments made by the city of San Antonio and in Florida would indi- , cate that with a little encouragement on