The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1920-07-22
WILL CONTINUE
MALARIA WORK
COL. L'PRINCE ADDRESSES CIT
IZENS OF BANIBERG.
Importance Stressed.
Town Has Received Nearly $4,000
More From Outside Than Prom
ised.-COllect Pledges.

At meeting Of some of the citi-
zens of the town at the court house
Thursday night, it was resolved that
the work of malaria control must be
completed, and committee was ap-
pointed to collect the unpaid subscrip-
tions and secure as much more as
possible, which, supplemented by
additional government funds that it
is believed can be secured will COM
plete the work that was started here
last fall.
The immediate cause of the meet
ing being hastily arranged for Thurs
day night was the presence in the city
unexpectedly Thursday of Col. J. L..
LaPrince, who has charge of the MAJ
laria control work in number of
southern states as a representative
of the u. S. government. Col. La
Prince was one of those actively en-
gagged in the work of clearing the Pa
mama canal zone Of the mosquito. 1t
was felt by those locally behind the
movement that the citizens Of the
town should not miss the opportunity
of seeing and hearing this distin-
guished engineer whose career as a
specialist in this line has been so
eminently successful. Consequently
a meeting. was called and as many of
the citizens notified as possible.
G.. w. Rentz stated briefly the .pur-
pose of the meeting, and introduced
COL. LaPrince, who stated that
work similar to that being
done in Bamberg has been
undertaken in 81 communities
throughout the country. His exper-
ience, he stated, has been that busi-
ness men are generally skeptical as
to the results of malaria control
work, but that once it is secured and
completed, the benefits are So mar
velous and far-reaching that it be-
comes matter of local pride to all
communities. where the work is un-
dertaken. Nothing was known 20
years ago of the control of malaria.
People then fought the disease with
medicines, but now with scientific
methods the mosquito, the cause of
malaria, can be and is eliminated, and
results that appear on their face as
impossible are attained.
Il know that you have the right
spirit in Bamberg. II you had not
you would not have contributed to
this work, the greater part Of which
has now been done But there is
still some more work before the job
is completed to eliminate the mos
quito" said Col. LaPrince. 'sIt would
be a pity-a great pity-to stop this
work now at this stage and thereby
waste in a large measure the work
that has already been accomplished"
1t is question of benefits to fu-
ture generations, and the people are
not yet fully aroused to the vast i'm
portance of malaria control, said Col.
LaPrince. One of the most insidious
features about malaria is that it
rarely kills people-that is fatalities
are not traced directly to malaria,
but it. so weakens the system that
the malarial victims easily fall prey
to all manner of other diseases with
fatal effect. "For heavens sake
don't lose this opportunity to do the
biggest thing that you can possibly
do for your town and people," he
earnestly pleaded iFIf contagion
broke out in your town, it would not
be difficult to arouse your people"
and he reminded his hearers that ma
laria was worse than a contagion,
sapping the life and energy by de-
grees from old and young.
''I'l tell you one thing: II you
neglect this work there will be more
children carried to your cemetery in
a few years than you have any right
to see go there" said the colonel. AS
to the effectiveness of malarial CAM
paigns, the speaker stated that the
army statistics afforded absolute
proof of the success Of malaria con-
troll. If the soldiers of the Amer
lean army during the world
war had died in the camps Of
malaria in proportion to the fatali-
ties of the camps during the Spanish
American war, America would have
lost 5000 soldiers from this cause.
According to Col. LaPrince, exactly
81 men died of malaria in the army
camps during the world war. He re-
cited briefly some of the material ben
efts that may be expected, giving as
an instance the town of Gulfport,
Miss, where it was found very diff