Carroll County democrat. (Huntingdon, Tenn.) 188?-1971, 1913-10-24

from that time forward numerous writer's have
described the symptoms Of this disease without
approaching or understanding its cause. AS
we have mentioned Dubini undoubtedly deserves
the credit OF first associating Miners Anaemia
or Tunnel disease with the presence OF d para
site worm One of the many troubles Nnich
has for more years than one cares to recall,
yexed the economist Of the southern part Oh
the United States Is the existence OF large
population of degraded white people, sometimes
referred to by the black citizens as Poor mean
whites" or Poor white trash" About the be-
ginning of the present century Professor Stiles
of Washington was able to show that the de-
plorable condition Of this degenerate people
was due not so much to original sin as to the
fact that they were infested by a worm which
was thought to be identical with the Ancylos-
toma doudenale we have described above. But
ten years ago Stiles found out that the worm,
although it's effects were identical with the An
cylostoma was Of different species and even
genus and this he named Necator americanus.
It was for some years thought that tnls ~.
americanus was peculiar to America, and the
uniformed labeled 1t the "Germ-of-idleness."
Schoolmasters and college presidents looked for
ward to virus weakened under cultivation until
incubation would confer immunity to laziness
on schoolboys and college students little
later some pigmes from the Semlih Forest
who were brought by some enterprising impre-
sario for exhibition in music-hals, passed down
the Nile. and, on reaching Cairo, were inspected
by Looss, who discovered in them Necator ameri-
canus Probably this was introduced some CEN
turtles ago into America from Africa with the
slaves and is part Of the debt the New World
has had to pay for the institution of slavery
Since then Leiper has shown that Necator
americans Is almost as widely distributed in
the Old World as In the New
There are many details about the tunnel worm
which are Ill adapted for newspaper discussion;
but one may at least point out that, with proper
provision 1t may be controlled To a great ex-
tent 1t is controlled In the Panama canal region
and other districts by the American sanitary
officials. TO take but one example. In Porto
Rico the deaths caused by Ancylostomiasis were
placed at so per cent. Of the local death rate;
but by assiduous and most careful treatment
the authorities in that island managed to cure
26 per cent Of the inhabitants and practically
cured another IT'S per cent, while 40 per cent |
OF their patients were still under treatment at |
the time Of writing. The remaining 1874 per
cent ceased to return, and only OF per cent.
died. This admirable work was effected without
any great cost.
The triumph of the Americans in making the
Canal zone" a health resort is summed up
by Mr.. James Bryce, late British ambassador at
Washington, in these words: Its success in es-
Gaping all charges Of partially or corruption, as
we'll as In producing efficiency in the work and
contentment among the workers, has indeed been
such as to make some persons draw from 1t an
in favor Of state control OF all great
enterprises To the unbiased observer it is rath-
er an instance Of the efficiency obtainable by
yesting full administrative control Ia men whose
uprightness and capacity have already beeIl
proved beyond question who have not risen by
political methods, and who have nothing to gain
by any misuse Of their powers, So far as any
political moral can be drawn from the case, that
moral recommends not democratic collecty1sm.
but military autocracy.n