The Port Gibson reveille. [volume] (Port Gibson, Miss.) 1890-current, 1913-03-13
The HOOK WORM DISEASE.
Its Cause. Prevention and Care.
BY Or. DsdwSIdss.

Its caase. Prevention and Cure,
By Dr. Dsdwy'des.
The State Board Of Health, act.
ling With Claiborne county will soon
open Dispensaries over this county
for tres examination and treatment
Of the disease CONNOLLY known as
Hook Worm disease.
The disease is caused from q
small intestinal parasite from one
third 10 one-haIf inch long, about
the size OF small hairpin IN diam
eter, Of a dingy white Of brownish
color.
The adult wermis found 10 the
small bowel attached TO the lining
membrane. There may be present
In the bowel only q few OF as many
as two or three thousands; here the
worm lives It's natural Iiies which is
from = 10 II years. The worms live
by sucking the blood ofshe person
infected, each worm sucking about
one drop of blood q dav.
In order to obtain the blood they
attach themselves to the lining
membrane of the bowel, wounding
this and leaving a small ulcer, les
sening secretions, causing more or.
less Indigestion. These worms
also inject into the circulation q
toxin "Poison" which is very de-
to the patient. From this
poison and inability to obtain the
proper nourishment from the food
taken, and the constant loss Of
blood brings about this condition
which often causes death, but more
often form a weakened and de-
praved condition Of the body, opens
the gate to other diseases as con-
sumptions pneumonia, syPhoid te.
per. ere AID increases ahcz death
rate % these diseases.
Hook worms never multiply in
the body. They go through two
distinct stages-one stage IN man,
the other in the soil or earth. The
Hook Worm lays her eggs, they
leave the person through the pass
age from the bowels and reach the
soil, here the egg goes through 2
or ! changes developing OF hatch
ing and forming the young Hook
Worm or Larvae and remains in
this condition for a period varying
from several days to six months,
ready to enter the skin Of some
person or take in by mouth and
developing into the active adult
worm. Thus the ever recurring
cycle from man to soil (egg) and
from soil (Larve) to man.
The disease is always contract.
ed from the soil in one ottwo ways:
First by the mouth, the young
worm or Larvae are taken 10 BY
the mouth either from drinking
surface water, as spring or branch
water or by eating raw vegetables
or fruits, as strawberries, lettuce,
onions, radishes, etc. Second, and
by far the greatest mode of infec-
tion is the skin infection; these
larvae enter she skin, generally of
the feet OF the baretooted boy or
girl, and cause an eruption, COM
monty known as ground itch, etc.
The Larvae pass on through the
skin, enter the circulation, finally
reaching the small bowel, where
they develop into the adult worm,
taking AZ to 70 days TO complete
circle. About go per cent Of cases
are contracted this way.
The symptoms are SO numerous
and varied till only q few Of the
most pronounced win be given. A
mild case may show no symptoms
of the disease, but one frequently
suffers from the common ailments
with which people complain. The
individuals have slight headaches
more or less Indigestion. sluggish,
and express themselves as feeling
stout OF sorts"-oflen spoken of as
recurring bilious attacks. The
severe case symptoms are more
pronounced and have their begin.
ning ID childhood. and the individ-
uafs while reaching maturity ia
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