The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1914-04-26

performing, and actually do perform
from one-hah to two-thirds less work
than when in normal conditions of
health. Reports from every part of
the world where the ailment prevails
show practically the same results. The
sufferers appear to lose all ambition
and most of their energy. They move
about in a sort of mental and moral
lethargy to save funeral expenses, in
different as TO when the final obse-
quies may become necessary.
Yet the hookworm disease is almost
the easiest to be mastered of all the
physical troubles that attack mankind
"a dose of EPSON salts followed by
dose of thymol and by a second dose
of salts Thymol is made from the
thyme that grows in most well regu-
lated gardens and it is just about as
simple and as harmless in its action
as the EPSON salts Usually one trait
ment is effective; if not, the second
one Will be. Furthermore the disease
is one that lends itself to quick re-
suits. It changes lazy, good for moth
ing boys and girls into sprightly, en-
ergetic individuals within a few weeks.
But the greatest difficulty that is
found by those who are Systematically
fighting the disease Is not in curing it,
but in inducing the sufferers to be
cured, to accept salvation for them
selves or their children.
Florida's state board of health is
working to eradicate the disease from
its Jurisdiction. 1t is trying to dis
cover the infection, to induce the use
of the simple cure. and the next hard
out. 1t is largely a matter of educa-
ton to show the serious harm that is
caused, to demonstrate in every COM
n1unity how easily it may be banished
and to enlist the cooperation of the
people Of the state to keep it under
control.
The effects of the disease have been
described. Its cause may be told again
and again, if for no other reason than
to inspire disgust with it.
The hookworm lives in the intestines
of the human body and sucks the blood
OF the patient. 1t injects poison into
the system. 1t lays thousands of eggs
which are passed out of the body in
the excreta. These eggs hatch young
worms which live in the ground for
several days and develop into what is
called encysted embryos. The embryos
burrow into the feet of children or of
persons who go barefooted, and pro-
duce ground itch, complaint almost
as familiar in Florida as the stomach
ache in baby land.
Once under the skin the worm gets
into the blood stream: then through the
circulation into the lungs, where 1t is
coughed up and swallowed. Soon It Is
In the intestines where 1t grows to be
an adult and sucks the blood of the
patient and lays eggs. just as the gene
ration before did. The process isn't
pleasant one to think about. but If the
people OF Florida thought more about
it. IL they realized how this disgusting
parasite makes human bodies its rlabi-
tation, burTowing into their Utmost re-
cesses and sapping their vitality, IT
might be possible to carry orr more
quickly this campaign against the re-
sulting diseases. And remember, no
microscope is necessary to find and
identify the hookworm. The hairlike
work, small as it is, is still large
enough to be seen without glasses.
Hookworm infection in individuals,
however, in denoted by the presence of
eggs in the feces. and can only be seen
through the microscope.
1t has been demonstrated beyond
the necessity of argument that the
ground itch, caused by the hookworm,