Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1923-07-17
MALARIA HAS LONG
SINISTER HISTORY
Rockefeller Foundations Tells of
Development in Effort to
Control Disease


NEW YORK, July IT, The di-
sease which in 1853 an Italian call
ed malaria because he thought it
came from "bad air" has a long
and sinister history. 1t is believed
that the ancient Egyptians knew
lit. Hippocrates clearly described it.
The decline of Greece and Rome
is attributed largely to malarial
feyers. In 1910 cinchona bark was
introduced into Europe from Peru
and was gradually employed as
specific remedy. Various medical
men studied the disease and con-
nected it with marsh areas. One
suggested the possibility that the
mosquito might be involved. In
1920 an alkaloid called quinine
was obtained from cinchona bark.
knowledge about the malady grew
n'1880 Laveran, a French army
surgeon, discovered the organism
which causes malaria. Ross in
1897 demonstrated the transmission
of the malaria organism by mos
quitoes. MacCallum's studies com
pleted the knowledge of the life
cycle of the parasite. Contribu-
ton from many other sources rap
idly confirmed and expanded
Ross's results. Experiments in
control of mosquitoes by use of oil
and larva-consuming fish were car
ried on. By 1910 a technique had
been worked out for the prevention
of malaria through drainage,
screening, and other methods of
mosquito control, and through the
use Of quinine,
Gorgas employed these methods
in Panama Ross, at IsmaiIia in
Egypt, and Watson, in the Federal
ed Malay States, achieved strik-
ing results. Italy introduced
wide distribution Of quinine sup
piled free by the government. In
1912 the United States Public
Health Service began studies and
experiments in Mobile, Alab ma, in
with the State Depart
ment Of Health. The work was
later extended to Louisiana. A dem
stration was made in 1914-1916 in
a cotton-mill town in North Caro-
lima, following a successful effort
to control malaria in a lumber
camp in Mississippi During the
war the Public Health Service eff
GENTLY discharged the duty of pro-
tccting AZ areas in the vicinity of
army camps in Is states.
Practically all Of these projects
were directly supported by gov
ornment, Many of them had had
to be carried through almost re-
gardless of cost for the sake. of in
dustry or military ends. The ques-
ton as to whether a small city,
town, or a rurla area could be pro-
tected against maalria at a cost
which the local population could
afford remained to lie answered. 1t
was to test the possibility Of eff
fective control at a lower capita
expense that the International
Health Board began in 1916, in
SS-OB CldCIOl with SLdJG anu IGQtI-
al authorities, a series OF demon
STATIONS in small towns in Arkan-
sas and Mississippi. The net re
suit of these experiments was so
encouraging, that for the season Of
1920 widespread demonstrations
were begun under the joint au-
spices of the local governments,
state health departments, the
United States Public Health Serv-
ice, and International Health
Board. The program for 1922 in
Guided 81 countrywide malaria con
troll demonstrations and 80 town
demonstrations in ten states. All
the demonstrations have afforded
cumulative proof that under nor
NAL conditions an average com
munity can practically rid itself of
malaria at per capita cost of
of from As cents to 81 per year. In
addition, the Board conducted ex-
periments in mosquito control by
use of fish and by screening I'M