Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-12-16
Brazil ACCEPTS
CARNEG|E'S AID
HOOKWORM fight
IRr Associatsd orsssl

SAC PAULO, Brazil-Health au-
! tlorities of the state of Rio de janet.
70 have announced that they would
accept the offer of the International
Health Board of the Rockefeller Feun-
dation which proposes to cooperate
with the Brazilian government in a
campaign to be waged against the
hook worm. II is estimated that hun
dfeds Of thousands Of laborers and
others are suffering from the effects
OF this parasite which is sapping their
yigor and decreasing the crop output
b. at least l0v per cent.
Dr. lewis Wendell Haekett OF Har-
ward University. who is one OF the
| staff OF physicians sent out by the
Foundation, arrived here from New
York short time ago and as q result
Of his conferences with the authors
| ties here the announcement of the
campaign was made This is of parti-
cular interest TO the planters Of the
state of Sac Paulo, where three-quar.
tiers of the coffee crop of Brazil and
nearly one-nalf Of that of the world is
grown.
A coffee plantation is one of the
greatest known breeders of the hook
worm. The trees grow ON very wet
soil in a rolling or hiIly country, and
as they require shade the ground un-
| deTneath is In continuous soggy con-
ditioR. Here the dangerous worm pro-
pogates with great rapidity and is
| introduced into the systems of the
humans through the bare feet of the
crop pickers and cultiyators. S
The symptoms Of the disease caus-
ed by the presence of this worm are
pronounced anemia with the inability
OF the laborer to work more than
three or four hours out of the "a. The
economic aspect Of the scourge has
appealed to the planters, who are
losing much through the short hours
and poor quality of the labor DR..
Hackett recently discussed the re-
suits Of the campaign waged by the
United States throughout Porto Rico,
where the death rate was greatly re-
duced, the labor output enormously
increased and the planters returns
correspondingly augmented.
The first work will be done in q
selected region in the state of Rio de
Janeiro, where field hospitals are now
being erected Il is planned to treat
1000 cases. keeping careful record
of the deaths, ,recoyeries and changes
Of residence of the inhabitants Of the
chosen experimental field under the
belief that the results will be so pat
ent that the campaign will be rapidly
spread to other parts of the republic.
On the steamer that brought DR..
Hackett there was carried in the hold
many gallons OF new remedy for this
dread disease, the oil of chenopodium,
which is everyday language is called
worm seed oil. This is not only cheap
er and easier to give to the patient,
but in many cases is more efficient
than. the old treatment BY thymol.
iChenopodium is found in the Levant
and in the islands of Java and Sumat-
"a. It is believed also that it is ma
tive of Brazil as the Indians for many
years have been in the habit OF boil
ing a somewhat similar weed to make
a concoction for the cure Of anemia.
4 In addition to this new oil the doc.
L tor brought with him 100000 iron
tonic pills which will be fed to the
4 convalescents. 10 is estimated by the
doctors in charge of this work that
the physical health of the laborers Of
the district will be increased by SO
4 per cent, while in many instances
there will be an increase of as much
as 400 per cent in the crop output.
/ The cost of this work will be borne
4 by the Rockefeller Foundation, the
brazilian government only being ask
| ed to enforce such sanitary laws as
are the necessary concomitant of a
successful campaign of this sort A
campaign of education among the
people themselves will also be waged
/ by which means will be taught the
necessity of the practise of the ordin-
airy laws of hygiene This is the first
movement of the sort ever started in
South America. and, If successful, will
be tried out in many of the other re-