Roanoke Rapids herald. [volume] (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1914-192?, 1915-03-05
freeing Community
FROM MALARIA'S GRIP
Detailed Report Of Splendid
Health Work Done in Communi-
ty During 1914 under Super
vision Of DR. T. W. M. Long
and Mayor J. 7. Chase.
GREAT BENEFITS
RESULT FROM WORK

The following report made by
DR.. T. w. M. Long, Health
Officer, and Mr.. J. T. Chase,
Mayor, to the several corpora
tions who supplied the necessary
funds to carry on the health-Work
of 1914, of the work done and
results accomplished is vitally
interesting to every citizen.
During the year 1914 there
was spent in carrying on the
work covered by the report in
round numbers about thirty
eight hundreds of dollars. The
results accomplished by this eX-
penditure may be easily deduced
from the report below.
There was a time when this
community was an unhealthy
place to live in and even now in
distant sections the unSavory
reputation still fingers. Ii is
needless to state that it is now
entirely without foundation.
Having practically eliminated
malaria, this community, which
has never been typhoid infested,
is far more healthy we believe
that many places in this State
with reputationsas health reports.
1t is DR.. Longs claim that
this community is now as healthy
a place to live in as any place in
the State of North Carolina and
he is corroborated in tnis opinion
by no less authorities than the
medical experts of the United
States Public Health Service.
The report is given in full be-
low except for the omission Of
the itemized report of receipts
and expenditures,
In the fall of 1913 a malarial
survey was made of Roanoke
Rapids by Drs. H. R. Carter and
r. Fl. Won EzDorf of the United
States Public Health Service.
They found that the four streams
running in and around the town
were breeding mosquitoes in vast
quantities and declared without
a doubt that the large number OF
cases of malari were spreada by
the mosquitoes. They recon-
mended that the streams before
mentioned should be drained and
oiled and the under brush cut out.
In order to carry out their
recommendations you were ask
ed to contribute funds, which
you did. A detailed report of
expenditure of such funds you
will find attached hereto. The
ditching and cutting of under
brush has been done; 60 miles
of ditching and about forty acres
of under brush cleaned out. At
the Patterson Mills the water
from the bleaching plant was
diverted into that stream, which
renders it immune for all time
to the breeding of mosquitoes.
The side bitches to that stream
were oiled, as were the other
three streams with their little
tributaries. This was done after
the mannre in vogue in the Pana-
ma Canal Zone, A drip can con-
tanning crude petroleum oil being
placed at the head Of every little
stream, which constantly drip
ping, keeps thin film of oilupon
the surface of the water.
During the summer of 1914
Drs. Won EzDorf, Rividaux and
Mr.. La Prince, of the United
States Public Health Service,
visited this place on two occa-
sions and aided materially in the
direction of the work. There
still remains some work to be
done of a permanent nature for
the ensuing year and this will be
done, provided sufficient funds
can be obtained.
In the fall Of 1913, DR.. R. H.
Won EzDorf took four hundred
blood smears from individuals in
this community, which examina-
ton showed that one out of
seven persons examined was in
fected with malaria. In October,
1914, Or. Won EzDorf took blood
smears from eight hundred in
dividuals here, but we have not