El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-08-02
Makes

John D Rockefeller. The fact of this
benefaction anC the first plans of work
for the Foundation are now announced
for the first time, although the found
ers having unSucceSSfully applied to
congress for a federal charter, or
gained under the laws of the state
of New York in May. One hundred
million dollars may be the ultimate
endowment of this Foundation which
is to spend its money in philanthrOpic,
educational and eleemosynary efforts
to improve the condition of the race.
In accordance with announcements
made on behalf of the incOrpOratOrs at
the time the proposed federal charter
was pending in congress the first work
undertaken viii have to do with the
Improvement Of the public health
What other activities are contemplated
for the near future is not yet known.
The foundation at present is COM
posed of the original incOrpOratOrs,
John D. Rockefeller John D. Rookie
Teller, jr., Frederick T. Gates Harry
Pratt Judson, Simon FleXEer, Starr J.
Murphy, jerome D. Greene, Wickliffe
Rose and Charles o. Heydt. John D.
Rockefeller, Jr-. has been elected the
first president of the Foundation,
Jerome d. Greene is secretary and L
G. Myers is treasurer.
First Work Is Public Health.
Its first work in the public health
field is to be the extension to foreign
countries of the successful fight
against hOOkWOrm disease This work
has been carried on IN the southern
states of the Union for three years
past 1t was undertaken on the mi
tiative of the Rockefeller Sanitary
commission, and with its supervision,
but without exception the actual work
has been done with the cooperation and
aid of the local health authorities and
physicians, as well as Of the county
governments.
Half Million spent
Of the million dollars pledged for the
south a
been expended More than a half mil
lion persons have been treated for the
disease The improvement in the
physical condition of the thousands
who have been treated, whether their
infection was light or heavy, cOnst1-
tutes one of the most wonderful phe-
nOmena in the whole history of medi-
cal science. Economic Improvement has
followed upon physical rehabilitation
and the rest is that not only the indi-
viduals and families, but whole COM
muniues, have experienced the regen-
Grating effects of this treatment
The treatment is very simple, con-
sisting Of the administration of the
drug called thymOl, and is as inexpens-
i've as it is simple. When the treat
ment is followed by improved sanitary
conditions it results in permanent
cure.
Physicians Suspicious.
When the Rockefeller commission
began its work in 1910, the then but
pathological factors of hoOkworm dis
ease were all but entirely unknown TO
the laymen, and were but imperfectly
known and appreciated by the ply
slclans OF the country II was entire
" natural therefore, that the first re-
ports of the prevalence of the disease I
were received with suspicion and dis
trust
Other Diseases Fought.
An important byprOduct Of this cam /
paign has been that in many states the |
hookWorm propaganda has increased /
public interest in general sanitary i'm
prOvement and has therefore advanced I
the efficiency OF public health actlVi- I
ties generally The same public senti- !
ment and spirit of action that has /
been employed against the hoOkwOrm
is now directed against typhoid fever, J
tuberculosis, malaria and other dis
eases that can be fought effectively !
only by concerted community action.
During the last two years, at the in A.!
stance of the Rockefeller commission.
preliminary survey of the whole /
world with reference to hOOkworm in /
lection has been made This showed |
that the disease, with all its traits OF 1
physical and economic woes, is pre-
valent in a zone engirdling the globe |
between the parallels of Sc degrees |
north and 80 degrees south
With this survey before its mem /
bers, the Rockefeller Foundation, at /
its very first session, reached the con- |
worm disease, to be permanently eff /
fective, must not stop in the United /
states, or In any one country, but must i
continue straight around the world
To Work in Foreign Lands
Having in mind public health /
movements that may follow the hook /
work campaigns. the Foundation es-
tablished an organization under the /
comprehensive title of international /
Health commission. To this new or
ganization the Foundation has dele !
gated the task of Immediately attack /
ing the hOOkwOrm disease in foreign
cOuntries-always with the support L
and cooperation of the local authorities I
and the people.
Wickliffe Rose, who has been for
three years the administrative secre-
tary in charge of the hoOkwOrm work
in the south, has been appointed di-
rector Of the International Health I
commission. Its other members are
John d. Rockefeller, jr.; Charles W.
Eliot, president emeritus, of Harvard !
David F Houston secre-
tary of agriculture; Walter H Page,
ambassador to Great Britain;
Simon FleXner, of the Institute for
Medical research; Fred T. Gates, Starr
]. Murphy, c. C. Heydt and Jerome D.
Greene, all connected with ether phil
anthrOpic works. Dr. John A Terrell, (
Of North Carolina, has been appointed
assistant to the director. Col. W. c.
Gorgas. of the Isthmian canal COM
illASSAOAs dlSO has DeGn invited TO De
come a member and probably will ac-
cept.
Plans Worldwide work
The International commission is now
making plans for beginning its world
wide work. The method probably will
be to start the work in certain cOun-
tries to which its attention has been
invited, and to develop and extend ope-
rations gradually, as circumstances /
permit. and as rapidly as the corps Of
local field workers can be organized.
Thirty-five millions of dollars make
up the sum now available for the work.
and that this in time will be increased
to a hundred millions means that this
Foundation, now beginning its work,
has field before it wider than ever
was attacked by any single OrganiZa-
ton, and a supply of implements so
vastly superior to any other philan- /
hropic agency that the Inauguration
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