Republican farmer., 1918-05-10
HEALTH SERVICE
BEGINS CRUSADE
AGAINST MALARIA
Most Extensive Campaign
Ever Undertaken in Unit
ed States Planned.
PROTECT SOLDIERS
IN THE CANTONMENTS
Eradication Of Mosquitoes
Around Southern Camps
to Be Attempted.

Washington, May 1.-The public
health service has just begun the
most extensive anti-malaria campaign
ever undertaken in the UAited States
with a view to protection of the
health of the soldiers in the South
ern environments. Congress has au-
thorized this crusade and provided
the funds and it is expected that
$400, 900 will have been spent by In
Gle Sam in this work by July 1, 1919.
This is exclusive of the governments
part in the cooperative health work
now being carried on in the vicinity
of these environments by the public
health service, the American Red
Cross and the local health authorities.
Because malaria is conveyed only
| by the bite of a certain mosquito
which flies only a short distance from
its breeding place, the eradication of
the mosquito will be undertaken in
zones two miles wide around each
camp likely to have malaria. Breed
| ing and hiding places will be ditched,
drained and cleared, undrainable
still water in which the mosquitoes
breed will be oiled and minnows will
be installed to eat the mosquito lar
vac off the top of the water. Even
dynamite will be resorted to in this
nation wide health campaign, to eli
inmate dangerous breeding places
and the work supplemented by
use of quinine for preventive and
curative purposes.
Cooperation of the state and local
authorities and of the people in each
place is expected. Posters will be
put up in the post offices, railroad
stations and other places in the South
Previous operations of the fedora
health service against the mosquitoes
have been enthusiastically received
by the people in each place affected
because of the results in the reduc.
ton of malaria and eradication of the
mosquitoes. For years tn public
mosquitoes. For years the public
practicable means for preventing ma
laria and demonstrations have beer
conducted in many places in the
South.
In the building of the Panama Ca
lnal one of the greatest difficulties
encountered was the presence o
swarms of mosquitoes, which convey
ed yellow fever and malaria to tn,
workmen. The engineer largely re
lsponsible for the success in the cam
paign against yellow fever mosquitoe
in the canal zone will supervise thi
anti-malaria campaign and associates
with him will be an officer of tn
public health service widely recogniz
ed as one of the foremost authori
ties in the United States on mosqui
to-borne diseases. Under them vii
be experienced officers of that ser
vice and sanitary engineers, alon
with a large force of laborers an
large equipment.
Malaria is one of the most seri
Gus diseases in certain sections of tn
country. During certain season
more than ninety per cent of all call
made by physicians in many district
in the United States aref or malaria
1t is one of the greatest health prob
lens now, not only so far as the sol
diers are concerned but also becaus
of the necessity to produce a maxi
mum of food and other supplies re
, lated to the war. Tt4 efficiency O
the laborer in the South, according t
public health service officials, ha
been markedly reduced by the dis
ease. These experts say that the an
ti-malaria campaign will reduce ma
laria generally and stimulate simila
work by local health authorities.