The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1915-11-05
God Helps Those Who Help Them
selves.


selves.
The man who trusts to luck to come |
out all right, comes out all wrong.
The laws of Nature, unlike man
made laws, work unerringly and with |
out exception, toward definite results. !
He who hopes or expects that he will,
or may perhaps, escape the penalty
of violated natural law and plans his
conduct accordingly, is doomed to
disastrous disappointment.
The State Board of Health receives
frequent appeals from every part OF
the State, rehearsing physical ills.
These complaints vary with the sea-
sons of the year, as various illness
thrive especially in the warmer OF
cooler months, but summer or winter,
spring or autumn, come calls for help
against hookworm.
For years the Board has fought this
facilitating disease. Advice has been
freely given and the simple remedy
has been supplied free to those who
could not pay the small cost. Sec
tions and communities have been re-
lieved from the scourge under the d.
Irectl0n OF tne bOaIu' n lS" uioi'I''1
have passed, the disease has returned
to the same communities and the GOOD
work has been undone, because pre-
yention has been neglected.
Hookworm starts from what is com
monty known as "ground tick"
Through the skin of the feet the germ
enters the body and reaches a GER
tain stage of development in the d.
gestive organs. There it multiplles3
and diverts to its own support the red
corpuscles of the blood, depicting the
strength of the victim. The loss OF
essential vigor is manifested IN de-
creased physical energy and menta.
strength to the extent of diminishing
bodily efficiency by fifty per cent or
more, or of dulling the mind to prac-
teal stupidity. .
Passing off with the excavations Of
the body, the germs infect the soil
They are scattered to some extent by
rains and by the tracking footsteps
of animals and of man, and the mice
ton 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 old SUI
ferers.
The cure is simple one, and the
more serious part of the II GIT against
the disease in Florida has been TO dls-
cover those who are infected rather
than to cure the disease when once II
has been identified. Thymol and Ep-
som salts are the remedy uniformly
effective but the former chemical is
dangerous in the hands of any but the
skilled physician, inasmuch as the
proper dose varies largely win the
age and physical condition of the pa
tient.
But more important to the commu,
nity at large is the prevention oil
hookworm. No one is or can become
,, immune to it, The sure preventive
is shoes, for the hookworm germ can
not penetrate leather.
OF course, this cure is more or less
punishment for the average boy
9 for it robs him of his time-honorel
privilege and right to Ego barefoot,
For the reason that the country boy
more usually than his city cousin, doe
most of his travelling without SHOES
thc disease occurs mainly IN rura
districts.
A census to discover this lntecc
ton in the rural schools was mad
some years ago, in a number OF tn
= countries of central Florida, with tn
. result of discovering that nearly siXt,
,. per cent of the pupils of these schooi
! were infested with hookworm. 1t Is
:, matter not to be ignored in tins state
u The Legislature of Florida, in l9lt
y enacted law requiring county schoc
q authorities to provide ample toile
g facilities for every rural school unde
% their jurisdiction, and to have theS
q" safely and properly screened. N
authority has yet decreed that ever
family outside the jurisdiction OF CIT
control and beyond the reach OF an
ple water supply for flushing, sha
ly provide itself with like safeguard
W No authority has yet declared tina
M every person, young or old, shall wea
&c shoes and that going baretoot
OF shall be misdemeaner, but unit
e such a regulation shall be enforce
70 Inv a united public sentiment, hool
ns worm will continue to deprive Flo
at ida youth of natural Inherited ment
VI VI and physical development to CORE
VI bonding loss of both moral and II
w tellectual growth of the State.-Sta
w Board of Health Press Service