Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1915-03-18
The University
Weekly Letter
Malaria. Or ChilIs And Fevers.
BY Dr. W. s. LFATHERs

Malaria. Or ChilIs And Fevers.'
By Dr.. W. s. LEATRERs
Mississippi should be q malaria
free STATE. This can be accom-
pished by educating the people
90 the simple. and in the main.
inexpensive measures necessary
IN the prevention Of this disease.
The Information AZ hand ia suffi-
eieut but the trouble il getting
the people 10 apply the methods
OF prevention that are known to
be trustworthy.
( However, this is q problem that
shonld concern the people Of
Mississippi when it is known that
tomething like 10000 people in
shis state suffer from il during
the past year. 1t is not possible
to estimate the financial loss to
the state from this source, not
mentioning the loss in human
life. When 1t is known that the
number Of cases of malaria were
reduced seventy per cent in the
Panama Canal Zone in four years
by screening. drainage and prop
er use Of quinine, it would seem
that our people would become
greatly interested in accomplish
ing the same result. But there
are certain facts which must be
kept in mind in our fight against
this disease.
The germ Of this disease re-
quires two hosts for its existence,
viz. the mosquito and the human
being. Then there are three fac
tors necessary in the spread of
this disease. 1. A person SUI
fering from malaria. = An in
fected mosquito 3. A suscepti-
BILE person. A link in the chain
must be broken.
Then it is OF practical impor-
lance to note that only a certain
type OF mosquito carries the germ
1t is only the female Of this mos
quito that spreads the disease. III
is also true that this mosquito
flys at night thar between sun.
down and sun-up. Moreover the
germs of Malaria will not live in
the body OF mosquito when the
surrounding temperature remains
for any lenght of time below 80
degrees. 1t is then clear that
the mosquito does not carry |
the germ over winter This is done |
by the human being who has this !
germ in his blood. or the two
hosts, man is the common carrier |
of the germ, from one season to
another. With these facts clear
in mind it would seem that the
two measures are greatest inn
portance in the prevention and
eradication and prevention Of
malaria; First, the necessity OF
of more uniform and complete
screening of the home, both white
and colored. Second, the cur.
ing of people who are found SUI |
fering from the disease The
screening of homes and and the
protection against the mosquito
ut night and the prevention of the
mosquito from biting people who
are suffering from malaria would
be an invaluable means of eradi-
eating the disease. Moreover il
the PEOPLE who suffer from mala-
ria during the warm months and
were not cured could be induced
to take quinine during the win
ter months until the blood is free
of the germ, this would result
in a great reduction of the dis
ease. In other words there would
be fewer people who would be
suffering from the disease the
following season, and for this
T reason the source of infection
of the mosquito would be de-
creased. The two important
factors then in fighting malaria
are screening and curing the
people VINO are suffering from
the disease.
i =