Greene County herald., 1916-03-03
(Copyrighted.)



es, and is almost as persistent after in.
fection, without adequate treatment,
as the more dreaded tuberculosis.
Without doubt malaria paves the way
for many of the so-called diseases of
childhood Malaria and these diseases
doom millions to drag through Grip
pied. inefficient. defeated lives.
It is by no means all of malaria to
have few chills In childhood. Science
ID now ready for its banishment from
the face OF the earth 1t Is only neces.
sary that the people be made to realize
fully that malaria kills or mains mil
lions and that 1t Is as easy to rid the
world of 1t as 1t was to sweep yellow
fever from this continent. Yellow fe.
YER established immunity in cases
where It did not kill at once or as re.
suit OF consequent complications. Ma
iaria does no such thing. Malaria par.
asites may continue for years their
''squatter sovereignty. IN the red blood
cells. devouring them and pouring poi.
sons into the blood stream, unless the
blood be sterilized by proper treat
ment. Laboratory research at last has
developed an unerring diagnosis.
Blood examination by the latest "con-
centration" method reveals the pres.
snce of malaria parasites in whatever
form they may persist. This method
Of blood examination is easier than
any other so far developed, and II para
sites are present the concentration"
method reveals all that the blood sam.
pie contains. There Is no danger OF
overlooking the parasites In blood
in which they are scarce.
The day is not far distant when a
malaria "carrier" will be sought out
as zealously and quarantined until
cured as smallpox patients are quar-
antined the world over today. There
10 as much reason for such precaution
against the running at large OF the
heedless victim of latent malaria.
Smallpox, IKE yellow fever, establishes
permanent immunity in the patient
because it is so greatly feared, small
pox rapidly is yielding to methods en-
ployed for It's extinction. Malaria
should be dreaded even more because
OF Its insidfous transmission.
Not few of the most fertile dis
tricts of this country have q malaria
death rate of one hundred for every
100000 living. Inasmuch as the ratio
- ui 10 he ic IN ic otyi
dent that every other person in such
district is infected with malaria in
some form, active or latent; tertian,
cuartan or the estivo-autumnal type.
Is this not sufficiently serious to
arouse whole nation?
This article is one step in that call
to defense. You are to enlist for this
campaign for five years war on ma
laria until malaria shall be no more.
Gall meetings, ask for speakers who
know what the people ought to know
and can arouse them to action and to
determined resolution that malaria
must go. Organize parent teacher as
sociations, ask your physician to ad
dress the people on malaria and how
to prevent it. Send to this Bureau for
literature for distribution among all
the people. Urge your parent teacher
associations after they acquire the i'm
petus OF organization to send delega-
lions to bankers and business men in
your towns and induce them to call on
the board Of health Of your county and
arrange for big mass meeting In each
of the ten principal communities in
your county to be planned for the third
Saturday of next April. Send to this
Bureau for speakers If you need them
Select local medical men wherever
available Spend all the time inter.
vening between now and the day Of
the proposed mass meetings in arous-
ing interest. Spread the doctrine of
prevention as an economic necessity
as well as sociologic duty. Tell them
that Reed and Carroll and F'inlay and
Lazear and hgramonte made their he
roic sacrifice to determine that yellow
fever infection was transmitted solely
by the stegomyia mosquito, and that
the world long ago has profited by that
sacrifice. Tell them that yellow fever
now is all but dream in long night
Of the races troubled sleep. Tell them
that malaria transmitted similarly by
the anopheles mosquito just as surely
can be conquered. Show the people
how much greater work our public
schools will accomplish after this fear
full blood famine caused by malaria has
been relieved by natures rich store Of
health in food and air. Declare to the
people how much greater chance Of
success for all, would accrue with so
great handicap thrown aside. Agri
culture in the southland would then be
the most happy calling in the world.
The South has never been free from
malaria. There once was some excuse
for this condition, but that time is past.