The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-11-04


rong.
ne laws OF Nature, unlike man
iIauG laws, worh unerrlnSiy and
without exception, toward uennlLe
ioauIts. lie VINO hopes or expects
tIat he VIII, or may perhaps, escape
tht penalty OF yIolatcu natural law
al.d plans mis- conduct accordingly, is
'ueomed To disastrous disappointment.
lie State Board Oh ilealtA receives
frequent APPEALS from every part OF
Tie state, renearsIng physical Ills.
nese complaints vary with the sea-
aoas oil the year, aS various illnesses
lnrNe especially III the warmer or
cooler months, but summer or win
.c., HpllnS or autumn, come calls
or help against hookworm.
FOR years the board has fought
Ills facilitating disease. Advice has
Deen freely given ana the simple
r,nieuy mas Dtcn suL1,lied Tree 10
those who could not pay the small
cost. sections and communities have
| been relieved IRON the scourage un-
Ger the direction OF the board. A
lew months have passed, the disease
has returned to the same communi-
Lles and the good work has been I'M
done, because prevention has been
neglected.
llookworm starts from what Is
commonly known as ground itch.
Through the skin of the feet the
germ enters the body and reaches a
certain stage of development in the
| digestive organs. There 1t multiplies
and diverts to it's own support the
red corpuscles of the blood, depict
ing the strength of the victim. The
loss of essential vigor is manifested
in decreased physical energy and
mental strength to the extent of di
minishing bodily efficiency by fifty
per cent or more, or of dulling the
mind to practical stupidity.
Passing off with the excavations
of the body, the germs infect the soil.
They are scattered to some extent
!l'y rains and by the tracking foot
steps of animals and of men, and
the infection spreads to larger area.
From this infected area the germs
begin anew the cycle of harm, by
entering again the feet of new or of
cid sufferers.
The cure is simple one. and the
the disease in Florida has been to
discover those who are infected rath-
or than to cure the disease when
cnce it has been identified Thymol
and EPSON salts are the remedy uni
formly effective. but the former
chemical is dangerous in the hands
OF any but the skilled physician, in
asmuch as the proper dose varies
LARGELY with the age and physical
condition of the patient.
But more important to the COM
munity at large is the prevention OF
hookworm. No one is or can be.
come immune to it. The sure pre-
vcntive is shoes, for the hookworm
Germ cannot penetrate leather.
OF cuorsc. this cure is more or less
a punishment to the average boy. fol
il robs hirt of his time honored
privilege and right to go barefoot.
For the reason that the country boy
more usually than his city cousin
does most of his travelling without
shoes. the disease occurs mainly in
rural districts,
A census to discover this infection
in the rural schools was made som,
Years aco. in a number of the coun.
tics of central Florida, with the re
suit of discovering that nearly sixty
ncr cent of the pupils of theS,
schools were infected with hook
worm II is a matter not to be ig'
rored in this state.
The legislature of Florida, in 1918
enacted law requiring county
school authorities to provide ample
toilet facilities for every rural school
under their jurisdiction, and to have
these safely and properly screened
No authority has yet decreed that
e-ery family outside the jurisdiction
Of city control and beyond the reach
Of ample water supply for flushing.
shall provide itself like safeguards.
No authority has yet declared that
every person. young or old. shall
wear shoes and that going bare
foot" shall be a misdemeanor, but
until such a regulation shall be en-
forced by a united public sentiment.
hookworm will continue to deprive
Florida youth of natural inherited
, mental and physical development to
corresponding loss of both moral
and intellectual growth Of the state.