The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-09-12

Y
 FIGURE II.
 Great rag-weed (Ambrosia trifida), whose pollen Is one of the chief causes of hay fever. Grows in moist lands. Very abundant on the gulf coast.
 
 insignificant greenish flowers form a terminal pointed cluster, which are staminate (male). The pistillate flow CTS, like the wormwood variety are located near the stalk. It Is common in moist soil and. in the low lands near the gulf coast. forms about 90 per cent of all the ragweeds. In the orier interior sections of the country, the reverse Is the case.
 The irritating principle of both rag weeds Is formed in the spike -lik e flower, being yellowish in color, and almost as light ac smoke. It Is so abundant that during the stage of pol lination it will stain ones clothes yell low while passing through such a field. It is so extremely light that it Is al- most impossible to collect any amount of 1t without its being blown away.
 Instead of the pollen of the rag weed being used directly for fertiliza- ton through the agency of insects, as Is the case with most plants. nature has created an immense amount of rollen so that 1t can be carried by the wind to the distant pistillate flowers. The pollen Is so abundant that if the ragweed is struck during the active stage, the pollen will come off SO freely that it is called smoking" by many farmers
 The seed is about 20 inch in diamo- ter and is formed fin the pistilate flow CTS. They are solid and are not easily carried with the wind. Were the seed wind blown like those of the thistles, eradication would be much more diff flcult
 Laboratory investigators have iso- lated a large number of plants whose rollen will produce the characteristic eraction of hay fever. but from the standpoint of the practical sanitarian, we must give our special attention to those pollens that are naturally found in the atmosphere in sufficient abun- dance to produce the symptoms of hay
 
 has been accused of being responsible for 50 per cent of all cases of hay fe- yer. The committee on original re- search of the American Hay Fever Pre- vention association has demonstrated the fact, however. that the goldenrod belongs to q group of only 15 per cent of cases that do not owe their origin to the ragweed.
 An obvious reason for the goldenrod not being responsible for large num- hcr of cases is that its pollen is not wind blown, but heavy and tenacious. 80 that the majority of patients are affected only in the event that the nostrils are placed ir close proximity. 10 the flower. The pollen of the rag weed, however. Is easily detached in clouds and Is distributed by the wind over a large territory. Besides, the usual attacks of fall hay fever suf-- ferers are coincident with the polli- nation of the ragweed, while the gold enrod frequently blooms for weeks after the attacks have subsided.
 The most active stage of the rag weed is in the month of September and every effort should be made at this time to destroy these noxious weeds This will not only be source of relief 10 hay fever sufferers sensitive to these ton of the seed. which will produce the weeds in great abundance the fol- lowing year.
 The object of the American Hay Fe- yer Prevention association Is the dis semination of general knowledge of benefit to sufferers from hay fevet, the education of the public regarding the weeds that are known to produce this disease, and tho use of its in- fluencc and cooperation towards the eradication of such weeds By means of lectures and articles in the scien- tific and public press. 1t is endeavoring to educate the public in the relation of certain weeds to hay fever. and best methods for their avoidance and eradi- cation.
 One arm of the association is to see that this important matter Is treated With the respect and consideration which 1t merits. inalady. with which hundreds of thousards- are. afflicted. which has among it's complications many catarrhal diseases asthma, bron- chitis. infections of the cavities of the head and ear diseases, and which is SD depressing in It's effects on the nervous system that very many cases of sui- eide are attributed to this cause. justly demands the most careful and dignified consid sration.
 Malarial flyer, in recent years, has been enormously diminished by pre- ventive methods. such a draining swamps; typhoid fever has been dc- creased through the care taken in the water supply and the destruction of infected material: tuberculosis and other diseases have found their advo- cates for preventive methods. The American Hay Fever Prevention asso- ciation has instituted. directly and through its affiliated state associa- tions. campaign of education regard ing the hay fever producing weeds, which 1t is hoped will in a few yeare IA a- kt-l