The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1916-03-02
Comparatively

Many teachers ana parents aiTeauy
know that in number Of the most FER
tile districts of this country one pre-
ventable disease alone, malaria, great
ly reduces the mental efficiency OF
school children. Yet 1t Is doubtfpi
whether any one has realized that that
disease reduces efficiency to seventy
Ave, sixty, yes, even to fifty per cent OF
the normal in many Of the most fertile
agricultural sections OF America. SO
far as know, no one has yet I'M
pressed the public that that reduced
efficiency is more serious from the ed
ucational standpoint than cutting down
the already too short school terms by
that per cent for the infected child.
A malaria infected child may lose sixty
per cent Of his school terms year after
year, although actually in attendance
nearly every day. His mental and ply
steal vitality are retarded. He can not
compel their attendance with him. He
may manage to pass with hts classmates
whose standard also is low. Thorough
fundamental preparation is not for him.
He thus loses much Of his educational
opportunities and sustains also an IT.
reparable physical and mental backset.
Had you realized that more than fifty
per cent of all children In those schools
are thus handicapped throughout not
only one session, but during their en-
tire school lives? If you have not real
ICED the existence of such condition
as we'll as it's import, then is 1t no.
time that you consider it?
Malaria is that one preventable dis
ease, and science could have banished
1t as readily as 1t swept yellow fever
from the land nearly decade ago.
Some school statistics just submitted
by principals of schools lay bare
the awful truth. Study these figures.
Then let us take counsel together to
remove the curse which has fallen on
these millions, all but unheeded. AT
ter studying those figures, apply them
to have the world that Is otherwise
an ideal home for man. Energetic
hygienic measures have been applied
here and there. Let America and the
South lead henceforth.
1t should be stated In this connec.
ton that the following statistics were
secured as q result Of the University
Of Tennessee College OF Medicine be.
ing invited to participate in a farm
development campaign in Shelby
County, Tennessee, November 9, 1915,
in which the writer was asked to take
the place of one Of the Universitya
speakers. His fifteen years expert
ence in rural and municipal schools
led him to suspect the serious malaria
conditions in one of the schools visited
by him, and to obtain data. Such
startling conditions depressing these
los lovely children led the University
to send speakers from its College OF
Medicine and Dentistry into the west
ern counties of Tennessee during the
farm development campaign conduct.
ed November 1927. These speakers
requested the principals Of schools Wis.
tied by them to make similar reports.
From those reports the following arc
taken. The University's representa-.
tive had spoken to each OF these
schools on malaria prevention. The
data therefore is Of greater value be-
cause of the reasonable presumption
of accuracy Hence these figures can
not be far from the truth.
The writer believes that this call to
action will not fail to secure the sym
pathetic attention and jealous coop.
Grafton of thousands Of teachers who
read this article carefully. Surely this
awful educational handicap OF malaria
will not be allowed to continue to
blight the lives and the educational
future Of the children whom those
teachers love and seek to lead Alright
in this day of great promise educa-
tionally. Let these statistics plead
the cause Of millions OF children OF
the nation who should have fair
chance and better destiny than to
live their lives under similar cOndi'
lions that can so easily be improved.
ID Nine persons out OF every ten
do not know that malaria infection not
infrequently persists in latent form
after chills have been stopped, but not
cured, because OF insufficient use OF
uuinine for treatment. These patients
become malaria carriers" They
spread the Infection solely through
the agency Of the anopheles mosquito.
One such malaria carrier" in league
with few Of these little angels OF
death spreads the scourge throughout
more than the one community in which
that unfortunate and dangerous person
resides. The human carrier travelling
from one neighborhood to another Is
bitten by mosquitoes along the way.
Ten days thereafter those mosquitoes
infect other persons. This carrier Is
likewise the greater menace because o.
being unknown to the unsuspecting vic
<i,,,o Nnf infrnnuently a malaria car.