Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-08-24
reach Mexico have disseminated the in
lection along their route.
Should Exclude Infected Persons.

Should Exclude Infected Persons.
These facts alone justify the exclusion
of this class of people according to the
immigration laws of the United States
and partially explain the antipathy of the
citizens of California to their presence.
"Hookworm disease has been found
among the mines of Pennsylvania, and
has prevailed in Maryland and Virginia;
has been especially prevalent in Florida
and Georgia, and some cases have &C.
Cured in the District of Columbia. In
portions of India 70 per cent of the popu-
lation are affected; in Ceylon its ravages
are said to be more serious than Asiatfc
cholera and in Assam it is almost uni
versal. $50 cases having been found in 300
necropsies. Alden states that go per
cent of the total death rate of Porto Rico
is due to this disease.
'Osler states that in Porto Rico. in
1903. among a total of 23.433 deaths,
5. 1856 were from hookworm disease. The
mortality and financial loss caused by this
disease are uncomfortable. AS the large
class of poor whites and negroes of the
southern states are infected to a great
extent with this disease, the laziness, lack
of ambition and poverty prevalent among
these people are to be attributed to hook
worm disease.
imal parasite. the hookworm, which be-
longs to the family of round worms or
nematodes The worm Is a strongyle,
closely related to the sclerostoma, causing
the verminous aneurisms and collie in the
horse, and to the gapeWorm of fowls. The
worms live In the small intestines of hui
man beings. apes and other animals. Two
species or varieties cause disease in man.
and are commonly spoken of as the old
world and the new-world hookworms.
THE hoOkworm is nearly cylindrical
worm. about half an inch long. about as
thick as hat pin or hair pin: of grayish
white, gray or yellow color, and with
head bent backward and mouth provided
with row of hooks by means of which
the worm clings to the mucous membrane
or lining of the intestine. The worm is
polygamous. and usually one male Is pres
ent to each three females.
1.-The eggs or ova are oval and trans
lucent They mature outside the body
under favorable conditions, and the
larva. becoming encysted. retain vitality
for months in clay, sandy soil or stag
nant water. Thus they reach the food
or drink of man. The worm requires
six to seven weeks to attain to the ma
ture or adult state.
The hookwOrm enters the small In
testine of man by two routes. 1t may
infect man through the ingestion of in
fected water or food, the accidental in
gestion of infected earth from sOiled
hands or the Intentional eating of earth.
There is a class Of PEOPLE found in the
southern states cthe geophagi, dirt eaters,
or earth feeders) who deliberately eat soil
as regular portion of their dietary and
when such soil is infected with hook
worms they of course, get the disease.
lon the other hand, there is another
class of dirt eaters in whom this habit
does not develop until hookworm disease
has developed fully in them. In this lat
ter case the earthly matter Is eaten in
obedience to an instructive craving. and
brings relief by mechanically loosening
number OF the PARASITES
First Manifestation.
The second portal of entry is through
the skin. where the first manifestation
of the disease is known as ground itch
of the south. pani-ghao of the tropics
or punches of the Cornish miners.
The worms enter the skin, are carried
by veins to the heart and lungs, crawl
from the lungs up the air passages or
tubes to the throat and then descend
through the outlet and stomach to the
small intestines. Entrance by the skin
route is,. of course, most common in
people who go barefooted; as the poorer
classes in tropical and subtropical lands
and oriental coolies, who work in rice
fields. Occasionally the disease is air
borne. according to Hare
1t attaches itself to the mucous mem
brane by means Of its hooks, and sucks
blood until 1t becomes engorged. 1t
may then temporarily release its hold
and become reattached making a fresh
wound in another place.
The damage to the victim is accom-
plished through the loss of blood the
production of poisons by the worm, in
fection Of the minute bleeding spots by
other disease germs. and direct impair
ment of the structure and function of
the bowel wall The parasite not only
abstracts blood from the intestine. but
1t secretes a substance which prevents
the clotting Of the blood, and thus there
is continuous bleeding and loss of
blood from many small wounds The
parasites may live in the intestine for
years.
The principal symptoms of hookworm
disease are progressive anaemia, dyspep-
STA, colicky pains. dropsy. perversions of
taste as dirt eating; lassitude, breath
lessness upon the slightest exertion,
dizziness, lemOn-white color of the skin
and enlargement of the heart, liver and
spleen. When the disease attacks chill
dren, mental and bodily growth are
stunted, and f1shlike. staring express
sion Of the yes is to be observed.
Hookworm is a preventable disease
First steps in the prevention consist in
an enforcement OF proper sanitary con-
ditions, the use of sanitary latrines in
sufficient numbers, and compulsory reg
istration of all cases OF the disease, with
the proper health authorities. All new
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