The Fayette falcon. (Somerville, Tenn.) 190?-current, 1916-02-25
(cOpyrIghted.l

tile districts of this country one pre-
ventable disease alone, malaria, great
ly reduces the mental efficiency OF
school children. Yet 1t is doubtful
whether any one has realized that that
| disease reduces efficiency to seventy
five, 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 his 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 ir'
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
lied the existence of such condition
as well as its import, then is 1t no.
time that you consider 1t?
Malaria is that one preventable dis
ease, and science could have banished
It as readily as II 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 UNDECIDED. Al
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.
It 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 farm
!. development campaign in Shelby
: County, Tennessee, November 8, 1915
in which the writer was asked to take
a the place OF one Of the University
4 speakers. His fifteen years expert
ence in rural and municipal schools
A led him to suspect the serious malarif
a conditions in one of the schools visited
. by him, and to obtain data. Sucf
/. startling conditions depressing thes'
lO5 lovely children led the Universit,
"a to send speakers from its College o
n Medicine and Dentistry into the west
Q. ern counties of Tennessee during tn
If farm development campaign conduct
"a ed November 1927. These speaker
IN requested the principals of schools Wis
al tied by them to make similar reports
le From those reports the following ar
ia taken. The University's represents
b tive had spoken to each OF thes
schools on malaria prevention. Tn
ID data therefore is Of greater value b.
II cause of the reasonable presumptio
of accuracy. Hence these figures ca
not be far from the truth.
E The writer believes that this call I
action will not fail to secure the syn
IA pathetic attention and jealous cool
Grafton of thousands of teachers VIII
read this article carefully. Surely thi
awful educational handicap OF malari
o. will not be allowed to continue
ne blight the lives and the education'
II. future OF the children whom thos
"a. teachers love and seek to lead arigf
in this day of great promise educi
tionally. Let these statistics plea
the cause OF millions Of children {
the nation who should have a ia
chance and a better destiny than
live their lives under similar cond
II lions that can so easily be improved.
ID Nine persons out Of every te
do not know that malaria infection M
infrequently persists in latent for
after chilis have been stopped, but M
cured, because Of insufficient use
uuinine for treatment. These patient
become malaria carriers" The
spread the infection solely throus
the agency Of the anopheles mosquit
One such malaria carrier" in leag'
he with a few Of these little angels
DO death spreads the scourge througho
, a more than the one community In whit
De- that unfortunate and dangerous perst
ie. resides. The human carrier travelii
nd from one neighborhood to another
i'd bitten by mosquitoes along the wa
he Ten days thereafter those mosquito
ee- infect other persons. This carrier
is likewise the greater menace because
1T. being unknown to the unsuspecting V
ZEE tins. Not infrequently malaria CT
ed rier does not even suspect that he "
nv not cured when the chills stoppe
in Many even boast that this or that p
he ent medicine stopped" them. Thus
Ily terrible part in spreading the scour
Ne goes on. No one had ever enlighten