The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1914-05-28
BoOk-WORM TREATMENT
Is Now Offered Free In Williams
burg County.

and has existed in this country a
great many years. but was not known
to e, ist in our Southern States until
ten tr twelve years ago. It's very
very prevalent in the counties IN the
lower part of South Carolina and the
percentage is also high in the noun
tain counties. In the center OF the
State the percentage is low. In VII
liamsburg county Il per cent of the
white rural school children have this
disease. Many of these cases are OF
a very mild form, and the physical
symptoms of the disease may not be
apparent to the eye, yet the cases
may later assume the severe type,
and they must always be reckoned
with as carriers of the disease. The
negro is not found 10 have the dis
ease in as great numbers as the
whites. This is also true of malaria.
We believe that the negro has had
hookworm disease and malaria tor
so many generations that he has es-
tablished a natural immunity to
these diseases. The opposite is true
of tuberculosis. When negro con-
tracts this disease he usually lives
only a few lonths. A white man
may have tuberculosis and live for
many years constant menace to
the lives of all with whom he comes
in contact.
The hookworm is small parasite
inhabiting the small intestines of
man. They often exist in great num-
be1s and live by constantly sucking
the blood of their victim. Lowered
red blood cells means lowered resists
ance to disease and persons with
hookworm dissase, even IN a mild
form, are more liable to contract
other contagious and infectious dis
eases. Pellagra and tuberculosis are
both found to exist in good per-
centage of hookworm patients. That
hookworm disease is allowed to exist
in q community when the State OF
fers to treat the disease free OF
charge is largely due to ignorance OF
the nature of the disease. Ignorance
of the value of sanitation on the
premises of country homes and
schools has caused the spread of the
disease.
The eggs of the hookworm re-
uuire heat, moisture and air to ena-
BILE them to hatch. and for this rea-
son do not hatch in the intestine, but
when they gain access to the soil
they are washed by the rains into
places where everything is suitable
for the growth of the young hook
worm. These young larvae are
hatched in twenty-four hours and do
not develop further till they get hu-
man blood. A person walking with
bare feet in infected soil will get the
tiny worms on his feet. Ground
Itch is the result. The itching is
dus to the little worms,s so small they
can't be seen with the naked eye,
passing through the skin. Thence
they get in the blood channels and
finally find their way to the small
intestine.
There are many deaths in Will
liansburg county each year due to
this disease. A physician in this
county stated this week that during
the past year he had lost three young
married women in one community
with hookworm disease. Because OF
the skepticism and prejudice exist
ing against hookworm disease in this
community these women all refused
to be treated.
The intelligent citizens in every
community should make an effort to
get the less enlightened to be exam
ined and treated for the disease
while it is being done free OF all
charge by the State. If a man feels
sure that neither he nor any member
of his family has the disease, as a
duty to his county and his communi-
ty ne should have his family exam
ined, anyway. By so doing ne often
influences severely infected patients
to be treated. 1t is especially desired
that cases be treated before the dis
ease mas had such disastrous effect
that everybody in the neighborhood
is aware of it. We frequently have
a. man with one child severely in
fected. This case is treated, yet ne
never has the others in the family
examined. So long as there is one
case in a neighborhood, all persons,
especially those who 60 barefooted,
are exposed.
We hope to put letter and specl-
men boxes in the home Of every
family in Williamsburg county. Al
ready one thousand letters have been
sent out to white school patrons.