The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1913-02-06
Aookworm Develops Slowly.

/ Hookworr Develops Slowly.
Hookworm disease. different from
many OF the other preventabie dis
eases. does not come on suddenly bu
is slow In its development. One may
have the infection for many months
or even years before the symptoms
become enough marked for tn cas-,
to be diagnosed by the examinatio,
Of the body. Pneumonia is sudden IL
its onset. We have the initial chill
and In very few hours We are aDlt
to diagnose it beyond the question Of
q doubt. Typhoid is preceded 10y only
few days of malaise. Dyphtheria
will develop almost within the hour
Almost all the diseases that are caus.
ed by germs are rapid in develop.
ment.
Aids Other Diseases.
Hookworm disease, which is a para.
site infection, will aid these 9th I
diseases In their work by weakening
the body. lessening its resistive pow
ers, destroying the red blood and by
so doing produce In the body
the proper soil for the development
Of the germs OF the disease when II
would otherwise be able to resist
them.
Toll of PrsventabIe Diseases.
The Vital Statistics law which
went into effect two years ago shows
us that in the year 1911, the first
year Of its operation, forty seven per
cent of the people, who died in Ken
lucky, died of preventable disease.
That is. AZ out Of every hundred IT
our people that died, that year, SHOULD
not have died Tut should have been
living today and be valuable ass Is
to the community in which they resid
cd and to the state.
By a preventable disease, I mean n
disease that We know how to keen
from having, one that we should not
have If we take the proper care ri
our bodies and observe the simplest
of sanitary rules. BY sanitation, only.
can we hope to eradicate hookworm
disease which so many of our people
have.
Origin in Soil Pollution.
Hookworm infection or disease is
originally soil pollution. A person
who has been unfortunate enough TO
get some of these little parasites in
to his body at once becomes a men
ace to the entire community for
each one OF the female hookworms
when full grown is capable Of laying
from 40 to 1000 eggs per day. These
eggs do not hatch in the body but pass
out with the excreta, and excreta is
in most every instance cast upon the
surface of the ground where these
eggs will receive moisture from the
earth. heat from the sun and oxygen
from the air. With these conditions
1t Is only two or three days until
the eggs begin to hatch and then
the person in lis daily labor, or the
child at school, coming in contact with
this polluted soil, gets II on his skin
where II 1t is permitted TO remain
for a few minutes these Matching eggs
which have become mobile will wig
gle their way through the pores OF
the skin and work themselves into
the veins where the flow OF blood
will carry them to the heart and
then the heart, pumping the blood
to the different parts Of the body.
pumps them 10 the lungs. In the
lungs they are little too large TO
go through the small blood vessels,
so they burrow their way into the
bronchial tubes and are then coughed
up into the mouth with the mucous
from the lungs and are swallowed in
to the stomach, passing from there
into the small intestines which Is
their home. II taxes these little
worms just six weeks from the time
they have gotten on ones skin till
they lave found their way into the
intestines aud have become full
grown worms capable of laying from
40 to 1000 eggs per day to be cast
on the soil for its further pollution.
Flies are Carriers.
Not all OF those who have the in
lection get 1t by coming in contact
with the polluted soil. but 10y far the
greater number get II in this way
The infection may be gotten BY
drinking water which has these hatch
ing eggs In 1t. 1t is thought tina,
about ten percent get infected In
this manner. Flies are also known