Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1913-07-12
TO ERADICATE MALARIA

SuS6Sleu ana ulSCuSStu LOT llc uIdl!I-
age of the swamp lands of the state SC
as to eradicate malaria or make the
ravages of the disease so slight as tl
be negligible where they are now ser
| ious handicaps in some sections. OF
the origin of this movement in Vir-
ginia and of the value of the plan in
this state the Atlanta Journal says:
The organization in Virginia of a
society for the study and prevention
of malaria is said to be the first step
toward nationwide campaign against
this far-f1ung and costly disease. The
movement has enlisted the support
not only of physicians and health offic-
ials but also OF business men who de
alize the economic loss which malar-
ial conditions entail This is a timely
enterprise. If it is important to pro-
tect a states crops against destructive
insects, it is vastly more so to protect
a states people against a malady that
impairs their productive power and
rcbs them of life itself.
Organized effort can accomplish IN
this field what it has accomplished in
the crusade against tuberculosis. Ed
ucation will be followed by proven
ton. Communities will be awaken
ed to the importance of removing the
source of malaria and will also be
shown the means of doing so. 1t is eX-
pected that the federal authorities WI
lend their assistance and that in time
organizations similar to that in Viz
ginia will be formed throughout the
country; and when public interest III
this problem is once thoroughly arous-
ed we may be sure that it will become
effective.
The longest and surest stride that
Georgia could take toward cleansing
its malarial districts would be the
adoption of a systematic plan Of
swamp drainage. In this connection,
it is interesting to note the testimony
of our state geological survey:
1T is well known fact, demon
strated by the medical profession, that
malarial diseases SO prevalent III
swamp lands are due to the bite of 4
certain species of mosquitoes which
almost invariably abound in greater
or less numbers in such places. The
drainage of swamp lands destroys tn :
breeding places of these insects, and
as a result malarial diseases disap-
pear. The census of 1870 gave the
number of deaths from malaria III
Indiana, Illinois and Iowa for the pre-
ceding year as fifty-two and five
tenths per thousand of the tota',
while the census of 1890, when large
areas Of land had been drained, the
death rate due to malaria was only
eight and six-tenths per thousand. FoG
the east coast lands OF Georgia, South
Carolina and Florida, the death rate
from malaria in 1870 was sixty-siX and
two-tenths per thousand and in the
same states in 1890 the rate was six
ty-one and seven-tenths per thousand
These figures show that malarial coz
ditions did not materially change If
the three last named states during tbs
two decades, which is accounted 10!
in a large measure, by the lack O1
drainage improvement The fact;
brought out in the comparison of these
two groups of states-in one of whic
drainage had been carried on to {
large extent, and in the other but lit
tie or no drainage was attempted -
demonstrate conclusively that malari.
depends largely ON swamp conditions
which can be removed by drainage.
The bill now pending in the Legisla
ture, providing for the appropriation
of five thousand dollars annually for ;
period of five years in order tina
Georgia may secure a like sum from
the federal government for the re
clamation of it's swamp and overf1o"
lands iS a measure of vital imDOrtanc(