The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1913-12-23
Report of Doctor On the Mala-
rial Section of N. C..
CONTINUED from Page One.p

t1e Z ioN 49,
than they Gid; ave better food. bet
ter houses and better environment
generally. They have cleaned up and
drained their land, and surfaced wells
have been replaced very generally by
driven wells m pumps.
THAT these wells would furnish
shelter for mosquitoes" the report
saws. sis certain. l did not think that
Anopheles would breed in them until
| found Anopheles larvae in q we'll
in ordinary use in Tarboro.'
Lowered Price of Quininc.
The second reason for bettered con-
ditions, DR.. Carter finds. is the low
cred price of Quinine. AT the time
When malaria was so preVa-
lent that drug sold from 81
to $3.50 an ounce and was, by poor
people, used sparingly. Many wore
their chills out and it was rarely
taken save on a physicians preScrlp-
ton. Now it is from about % to %
cents an ounce mo it is purchased by
the ounce by farmers and admins
tered without waiting for a physician
as soon as one has a chill, sometimes
doubtless unnecessarily, is ake in
larger doses and is longer continued.
Two Factors of Value.
"These two factors obtain and are
sufficient to account for the diminu-
ton Of malaria observed within the
| past 20 or 80 ear
I'm the absence Of statistics I "a
only say that there is much malaria
in Eastern North Carolina, mainly OF
a rather mild type, tertian, but there
is some estivO-autumnal. There is
| some in every town | visited, general
ly in proportion inversely to its size,
but varying, Of course, with its envi-
ronment. There is much more IN
the country, and Of severer type, than
in the towns. Indeed a severe type,
including much black-water fever. is
reported in several counties and small
towns. one Of which, however, did l
visit. The reports are from practi-
TONERS in Plymouth, Washington,
New Bern, Goldsbro, and Fayetteville,
who practice in the places where the
severe type prevails.
LAS compared with the places in
which I have worked in the Tropics
this country, in spite Of much mala-
ria, has three decided advantages:
G) The flight Of the A~nopheles,
namely, the season during which ma
laria car be contracted, is much
shorter; CD there is, Judging from
reports of physicians, a less proper
ton Of a severe type, estlvO- autumn
nal; CD those most exposed to it are
indigenous, not newcomers, and
hence, especially in the country where
it is worst, I'VE acquired a high de-
gree Of immunity by previous attacks
when adult life is reached
The Malaria Death Rate.
An attempt to learn the death rate
from malaria is given up by Dr.. Car
ter for lack Of statistics also. Fig
ures are lacking largely for the reason
that ala is such a large contrib
uting factor to the contracting OF
other diseases n because it is SC
difficult to say whether or not death
in malarial cases came as a result
Of malaria rather than from other
3 causes related thereto. 1t is from
! anemia that the population Of East
ern North Carolina suffers most. DR.
Carter says:
, LAS a producer OF anemia it Una
laria) ranks below, decidedly below
| but next to hookWorm. A consider
5 able number, nearly all under 20 o.
Is years in some sections, lose some
time on account Of malarial fever eacl
: year and are more or less debilitateC
I after each attack. 1t is especially Sc
: we're OF children during the time the,
: should be growing and getting theiI
education. At one place I examined
the spleens of 10 colored boys, ant
: all were enlarged. At another Wher,
t malaria was very prevalent, but yer,
mild, looking rather closely over
s number OF people, on the street Sat
t urday afternoon, i'll church Sunday
and at school the next day, fully Z
per cent OIL the young people,, girl
q especially, showed decided anemia.
was told by the health officer tina
e only q small amount of hookworn
n had been found there, and, as sanitar
e closets were universal, | would hav
judged so anyway. Adults in tn
o more maiarious sections nave doubt
less acquired a certain degree of i'm
o munity, although in the town las
It mentioned there was considerable ma
e Iariai fever among the adults"
n DR.. Carter describes in detail tn
D. topography of the section which +
1t visited. Then taking each town sep
I. aratelv, he goes into detail concern
u ing the conditions surrounding it, tn
Or Marshes, the ditches. difficulties {
,e drainage, etc. These conditions ar
purely local. but the remedies he PR
IF poses and some OF his general obsel
Is vations are Of immense interest /
ii that section.
Or The Top MiIinOv>.
q Top nninnOws, Dr.. Carter regards q
ze the most valuable allies TO this ant