Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-06-22
STATE WARNED
OF MALARIA BY
HEALTH BOARD
Authorities Declare That Prompt
Treatment of Disease Will Rid
Georgia of Danger.

Warnings against malaria and sug
gestions as to the prevention and
treatment of the disease have been
issued by the Georgia State Board of
Health in a recent bulletin. The dis
ease is prevalent at this season of the
year. and for this reason the warning
IS sounded at this time.
Malaria, in its various manifesto
tons, has ever constituted the princi-
pal obstacle to the civilization of all
tropical and semitropical countries,
and as a consequence vast tracts of
the richest and fairest portions of the
world have remained uncultivated and
unredeemed from their primitive saw
age state says the bulletin. Although
1t can not be said that this condition
Of affairs applies to Georgia, it is,
nevertheless, true that the prevalence
of this disease in some portions of the
State has been a serious drawback to
the development of the regions in
which the disease prevails. and the
State Board of Health feels that one
of Its principal missions should be to
remedy this condition as far as it lies
within its power Recent investiga-
tons have shown beyond the shadow
of a doubt that this disease can be
easily prevented if the matter be
taken up intelligently.
Character of the Disease.
Malaria is a disease produced by
parasite. belonging to the very lowest
order of animal life, which is COM
monty known as the Plasmodium ma
larioe; 1t is conveyed from man to
man by that genus of mosquitoes.
called the Anopheles. The parasite
attacks and destroys the red cells Of
the blood and produces poison that
causes the symptoms characteristics
OF malaria.
The most common and well-recog-
nized symptoms of malaria are those
that occur in that variety Of the dis
ease which is known as malarial or
intermittent fever. In this type Of
the malady the patient-whO may or
may not have at intervals for some
days-nOtices a chilly sensation,
feeling of fullness in the head, and
general bodily depression. is suddenly
seized with a chill. followed by a high
fever and subsequent prOfuse per-
SEPARATION; after these symptoms sub
side. which generally requires several
hours the patient returns to a prac-
tically normal condition and feels. on
the whole, well until the next attack
occurs. These chills and fever par
oNysms occur at various intervals
depending upon the character of the
parasite inducing them-the most
common form in Georgia being per
haps that which produces a chill
every other day.
In some instances the malady
comes on more insidiously, there
being no marked chills and the tenn
perature ren\ining constantly above
the normal. Mis- type of the disease
is oftentimes Known as bilious, re-
mittent or continued fever.
Disease Lasts Years.
In the more chronic forms of the
disease the unfortunate victim Is
frequently subjected for years to at
tacks of fever, coming on at irregU-
lar intervals, the patient being more
or less of an invalid throughout the
course of the disease.
In other instances the brain be-
comes affected, producing alarming
symptoms, and in quite a proportion
of cases the malady ultimately ter
inmates in chronic Bright's disease.
Most fortunately, we have in qui-
nine, when properly administered. a
medicine that in practically all in
stances acts as a specific in this af-
lection. It is not, however, advisa-
BILE to prescribe the drug indiscrimi-
nately, but it should be used only on
the advice and under the directions
of a physician. In the more chronic
forms of the disease combinations of
arsenic with such tonics as nux vom-
lea, iron and small doses of some of
the preparations. of mercury produce
permanent cures where quinine has
failed. 1t is of the utmost impOr-
lance that attention be given to the
treatment, for so long as the patient
remains with the parasites in his
blood so long is he a menace to his
friends and neighbors.
Parasites Breed Rapidly.
In our article Of June 10 we gave a
description of the anopheles mos
quito and the animated hSpodermic
syringe. When this mosquito sucks
up the blood of malarial patient he
also sucks up some of the malarial
parasites, and when he bites the next
person he injects these parasites into
the blood of the new victim along
with the venom which causes the itch
ing.
Each parasite Immediately attacks
a red blood cell of the second indi-
vidual, bores into it and grows at the
expense of the cell until it (the para
site reaches maturity, at which time
II divides up into from seven to TWEEN
ty-five young parasites, which are lib
Grated, and each in turn attacks a
new cell. This process goes on until
d sufficient number of parasites are
produced in the individual to cause
the symptoms of malaria, and the
new subject of the disease thereafter
becomes a source of danger to 9TH
ers in the vicinity, through the in
PREVENTION of still other malarial mos
quitoes.
It is clearly evident that a person
suffering from malaria should take
treatment and rid himself of the par
asites promptly-both on his own
account and on account of the rest of
the people in his community. 1t is
also important for his neighbors' sake
that he should protect himself by
screens and nets from the anopheles