Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-11-20
HOOK WORM HAS
BELT AROUND
Entire GLOBE
Byc. S. ALBERT.

i Especial tar-BuIIetIn Correspo ndencel
WASHINGTON. D. c., Nov. g.
The iBsidious and persistent hook,
/ worm, which spreads the germ OF
i laziness and makes the indoIent less
] energetic, now encircles tho entire
globe. It's infection surrounds the
earth in a zone between the parallels
of sc degrees north and 80 degrees
south latitude, being present TO a
greater or less extent in all countries
! within those limits.
For the benefit Of immigration off,
cials everywhere the authorities here
have issued a circular containing
facts and figures taken from data col.
lected by the Rockefeller Sanitary
Commission for the Eradication of
Hookworm. Inquiries have been
made in all foreign countries. In Co
lombia and on many plantations in
Ceylon the rate Of infection reaches
80 per cent. In Natal so per cent of
the coolie laborers on sugar and tea
estates are infected, with the disease
spreading among natives and Euro
peans. The southern two-thirds Of
China are involved, with the infec-
ton In many places running as high
as 20 per cent. 4.>, - = r.
"The disease Is widely prevalent In
the Japanese empire. Although e&-
act figures cannot be given, the per-
scentage OF infection m that country
rs believed to be high. Also In the
Philippines SO per cent and Samoa 20
per cent were reported, probably
much higher as whole. ss III. IA!
Experts of all countries are agreed
that the anaenfc condition caused by
the hookworm parasite Is an enor-
nous economic loss, Lii that It depre-
cia'tes the working value or the Ia.
boring population from 80 to 30 per
cent and Is q large factor in retard-
ing the development of the conlnunit
ties where II exists Nor is the loss
economic only, but faciaf as wen.
Acute disease may strengthen d rice
by killing on the weak; but RookworTn
disease isichronic, and works subtfy
through long periods Of time, 30 that
its cumulative results, physical. Intel.
Iectnal, economic and moral, are
handed down as increasing handicaps
from generation to generation. This
result Is especially to be observed in
such countries as Egypt, India and
China, which have suffered a heavy
infection for centuries.
"eIn our own country, DR.. Herbert
Gum, special inspector for the Cali
fernia state board of health, in his re,
port on hookworIn infection in the
mines of that, state, says: There is
no question that the general efficiency
of the men is noticably impaired. At
one mine, employing about 300 men,
it was stated that a reserve of about
25 men had to be available to replace
those who on account of sickness did
not appear for work. Several of those
who were unable to work stated that
when they arrived at the mines they
were perfectly strong and we'll. The
greatest loss to mine operators is j
occasioned by the large number Of
workmen who are moderately affect
ed by the hookworm. A loss of 90 per
cent. In efficiency of those infected
would be a conservative estima te. /
That would mean, for instance, in "a
mine where 300 men are employed
at an average of about $3.50 a day, I
and estimating the number of. those
as low as so per cent, loss
Of nearly $4,000 a year. -.
p This estimate is for one mine.
Infection is present, also, among az
ricultural laborers Of that state" I