The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1913-11-19
RAvAGES OF HOOKWORM.
approximately Ten Thousand Persons
I'm sumter County Have HoOkworm
Disease. An Estimation Based OH
Figures Ascertaincd In Sumter
County About Year Ago.

conservative estimate of the
number of cases Of hookworm disease
i'm this county would be 10000. This
estimate is based upon microscopic
examination, alone. The percentage
of children of school age, which is
six to eighteen, would be considerably
higher. as this is the time when this
disease is most often found.
History of HOOkwOrm Disease.
Hookworm disease is older than
Christ. himself. Was found among
the Egyptians. and at that time call
ed the Egyptian Anemia." This dis
ease has been prevalent in hot coun-
tries since then, following quickly in
the footsteps of civilization that has
moved constantly westward. Intro
duced into the United States by ne
gro, it has gradually spread over the
South, until 1t has become the greatest
menace to the public health that the
sanitarian has to deal with. 1t is a
disease that is due to the lack Of san
itation, transmitted from person to
person only in the absence of the
proper sanitation. A very low esti-
mate gives the number who are suf-
fering from this disease as two mil
lion in the South. South Carolina has
100000 of these sufferers.
The worm, itself, is an intestinal
parasite, situated in the upper few
feet of the intestinal track; lives on
blood; is about one-half to three-quar-
ters of an inch long; is thick as a pin;
the female being larger than the male
and laying two thousand eggs every
day The only way to detect shis
parasite in the human is by micros-
copic examination. as there are vary
ing degrees of severity due to the
number of worms that Is harbored by
the host (human).
Symptoms.
In the more severe cases you have
an extremely pale skin, dry hair; en-
larged pupils; constant headache; indi-
gestion; palpitation of the heart;
breathlessness; tenderness in the pi,
OF the stomach; fiat chest; round
shoulders; poor muscular develop.
ment; poor mental development; las.
situde, and weakness. A child four.
teen years old looks like q boy OF
eight. Sometimes we have a person
"a years old, who shows no more ma.
turity than a boy of fourteen.
The campaign in Sumter County
will have an active beginning Novem
ber 18th and for five weeks the fol
lowing places will be visited on tn,
dates mentioned:
Tuesday-At Mayesville, Mayes
Store. Bank Block.
Wednesday-At Shiloh.
Thursday--At Providence, Parker.
Store.
Friday-At Privateer Station.
Saturday-At Sumter. in Cour
House.
AT these points the physician o.
the State Board OF Health will oper
his office on the dates mentioned
above and will be ready to examine
every person that presents himself
and treat those that he finds infect
ed.
The necessity for examination O.
everybody will be apparent to every
one when they are told that 10,00(
cases are estimated to be in Sumtel
County. Persons with children o.
the school age are especially urged tt
have these children examined, be-
cause 1t is at this particular time tina
this disease can do the individual
the most harm. robbing him of his un.
deniable right to grow and take in ar
education when the opportune time /.
at hand. This is an opportunity fol
the people Of Sumter County to go 6
long ways towards Kidding themselve.
of the terrible scourge that handi
caps ten thousand of her citizens
Among this ten thousand we will fine
rich and poor, white and black, mer
and women, because 1t is a knowr
fact that no one is immune, and ev.
erybody i'm the South have been liza.
BILE To infection.
For any information about the work
write. telephone, or see Dr. +. d
Rodgers at the Y. NJ. G. A. or ask
your family physician about the i'm
por 1nce of the work.