The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1920-08-26
Malaria an Expensive Disease.

in the Journal Of the American Medl-
cal Association, November s, 1919,
states that malaria" is recognized as
one of the most serious of the dis
eases of man. The economic losses
resulting from it are incalculao Die.
The failure of the early Panama
Canal project and the difflcultles en-
countered in building the MADEIRA
railroad are only spectacular ex-
amples of what it is doing continuous
" and on an enormous scale to hinder
industrial enterprise. On farming
populations its burdens fall with pc
culiar emphasis. Many Of the richest
AGRICULTURAL lands in warm climates
cannot be developed until the infec-
tion in these regions has been brought
under control.
more serious still are it's effects
in retarding the development of in
dividuals and communities. 1t saps
the life of it's victims by destroying
their blood. The disease is most pre-
valent among children under fifteen
years of age and therefore preys on
the vitality of the race during the
important period of physical and
mental growth Its effects, moreover,
are cumulative. They are handed
on from one generation to the next,
and become to the community an in
creasing handicap in all things that
make for social development, and
these results are widespread. Malaria
in mild form is almost of world
wide distribution and in its malignant
form belts the globe in a broad zone
including tropical and semi-tropical
regions. Of the 1900, 100000 in
habitants of the earth, more than half
live in countries in which the infec-
ton. is prevalent and constitutes a
serious menace to life and health and
working efficiency.
In our southern states malaria is a
most serious problem. 1t is costing
ten times as much as it would cost us
to control it. These losses are mainly
as follows:
/. Doctor bills, drug bills and fun
eral expenses. resulting from acute
malaria.
2. Loss of time by wage earners.
3. Loss of crops (by either failure
to produce or harvest) by the farmer.
+. Ineficiency on the part of those
who have chronic malaria.
5. Lack of development Of the
country as result of it's reputation
as malarious section.
On account of acute illness from
malaria last year (1919) the state of
Georgia lost 625 lives and possibly
several million dollars. During the
same wear a house-to-house survey
was made by the U. S. public health
service and the state board OF health
of an area consisting of twenty-five
square miles in one Of the most heaVl-
ly infected sections of the state. From
the head of the various families IN
formation was obtained as to the
prevalence of the disease during 1913
also 1919 and the economic loss Tor
1918. which was as follows:
Number families living IN
this area o.
Number people in area ---- o9o
Per cent. having malaria
IN 1919
Number acres under cul-
tivation in 1918 1916,
Total loss during 191S..-s46,520.00
Per family loss from ma
laria in 1918, ---- ol4.3s
Per capita loss from ma
laria in 1918 --- ---- ---- S4.o0
Per acre loss from mala
ria in 1918 - --- ll.o0
These losses consisted of four
items. viz: Loss of crops that actu-
ally spoiled in the field while the
farmers were disabled with malaria;
loss of time by wage earners, doctor
bills, and drug bills. If malaria
throughout Georgia was five per cent.
as prevalent as it was in the surveyed
area during 1918 the state lost SlO,-
100000 from this disease, which is
about the average loss per year. This
exceeded by two million dollars the
states entire public revenue for the
same year. This sum of money is
about equal to the total sum Georgia
spent on her $4,000 school children
during the three years 19l6-l7-lS.
It surpasses by several million doll
ars the total sum of money spent in
the state for public health either by