The star-independent. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1904-1917, 1914-12-18
H0OKWOaM DISEASE keeps
BACK PUPILS IN COUNTRY
The Rural Schools Are Now Taking
Lead in the Movement to Destroy
1t and Other Handicaps to Good
Health

Washington, Dec. .1S.-That hook
worm disease is responsible for lack of
progress in many country schools; that
it can be eradicated, and that the rural
schools are now taking the lead in the
movement to destroy this and other
handicaps to good health, are some of
the conclusions of bulletin by DIR.
John A. Ferrell on "Rural School and
Hookworm Disease" just issued for
free distribution by the United States
Bureau of Education.
Hoollworm disease is one of the
most prevalent, most insidiously harm
full, and most completely preventable
diseases known to man, declares DR..
Ferrell SIT causes human suffering
and economic waste altogether out OF
proportion to its apparent death rate.
Many ills that have been attributed to
mental and moral weakness of whole
bodies of people are now definitely
known to be due to this infection, and
curaIble with its cure. Its eradication
is one of the most important and press
ing problems before the people of the
southern half of the United States and
of other semitropical lands.
has been found that the rural school is
the greatest medium for the spread of
the infection and The most important
protective agency against it. In some
schools investigated the infection has
been found to be 100 per cent.-the
teacher and every pupil victim of
the disease. Records of the Internation-
al Health Commission show an average
infection among rural children of
school age for whole counties running
as high as 20 to 80 per cent, while in
some sections of Virginis, Kentucky,
North Carolina, Tennessee, Arkansas,
and other States, the disease is less
widespread, with 10 per cent. or less
of the school population infected with
hookworms. The general average for
all the children examined to date is
40 per cent. of infection.
CIT is through the rural school,
whence the infection comes, that the
remedy must also come. The measures
necessary for permanent control of
hookworm disease are health supervi-
sion, health instruction and perfect
sanitation. The rural school can aid in
health supervision; it can supplement
and drive home health instruction and
above all it can teach good health and
clean living by being itself model
of sanitation for the community. No
matter how energetic national or
State campaign for eradication may
be; no matter how many cases of hook
worm disease are cured for the time
being, unless the school and the COM
munity maintain constant vigilance
in behalf of positive measures for good
health, permanent control of hook
worm or any other disease transmitted
by soil pollution will be impossible.
HoolNworm disease, like typhoid
fever, is due to careless disposal of hu-
man excreta. Once schools and dwell
ings in country districts are provided
with sanitary privies of one type or
another, there will be little danger
from hook worm.
study of the hookworm prob
lem has shown not only the need for
sanitary privies, but the need for more
adequate sanitary supervision by COM
petent medical officers. There should be
in every community capable superin-
tendent of health, devotimg his whole
time to public health work
Frequent and systematic instruc-
tion by the public schools in the ele-
ments of personal and community hy-
giene is necessary for permanent con-
troll of disease. When the citizens of a
community are taught from early child
hood the necessity for the care of
health, they will need no urging to
provide expert health supervision and
sanitary privies in every community.
"The campaign against hookworm
disease is campaign of education, and
it is right that it should be waged in
the public schools"