Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1923-10-16
UNTIL SUMTER is
FREE OF THE
BREEDING PLACES

BREEDING PLACES
Much progress was made in the
malaria fight in Sumter county
this year. In the city particularly
were the results gratifying.
In the county some relief was
given, but practically nothing has
been done to effectively eliminate
the breeding places.
Until Sumter is FREE of mos
quito Breeding places the terrible
drain from loss of time ana loss
of money, as we'll as the expense
of doctors and medicine must con-
tlnue.
The value of every acre of
ground is deprecated. New capt.
tai coming into the county will not
long linger. New citizens come for
a season and are gone.
We have started a fight that
must be carried on to a successful
completion. 1t is foclist, it is tragic,
it is death if we remain longer a
fever-rldden county.
The more we know of the de-
sease and means of combating it,
the easier the task for those who
have assumed the lead
From the report Of the health
board of the Rockefeller Founda-
ton made ppublic this week we
find the statement. that malaria Is
man-made. . Says the report:
an all the general programs
of malaria control the prevention
of so-called man-made malaria
or man-made breeding places for
Anopheles has received special
emphasis. A surprisingly large
proportion of the mosquito breed
ing in malarious districts can be
prevented by the simple and OBJ
vlous expedient CT forestalling
the creation of artificial breed
ing places. DR.. Henry R. Carter
estimates that 60 per cent, and
and in some places as much as
rs per cent, of the mararia is
due to man-made breeding
places.
Railroads have been offend
ers, mainly by leaving borrow
pits and interfering with natural
drainage. In many cases highway
construction has involved the
same practices. By the use cf
improper methods agricultural
drainage projects have often
created much malaria. The i'm
pounding of water for power or
other industrial purposes is pro
htic source of man-made NAL
aria. Improperly constructed
street cutters, faulty methods of
irrigation and gold dredging,
leaky hydrants and watermains,
ateslan wells, fire protection
water barrels, water troughs, all
contribute to the easily prevent
able Anopheles breeding.
The prevntion of man-nade
malaria is chiefly a problem of
education and cooperation under
the leadership of the county
health officer. Some states have
enacted laws applying to railroad
drainage, and highway work, but
voluntary cooperation on the
part of corporations and highway
officials brought about by health
officials responsible for malaria
control is the method being gem
orally adopted. It is particularly
important to secure the co-opera-
tlcn Of corporation and public Of
ticlalS because if they create and
permit artificial breeding-places
on large scale, the health Off
GERS can make little Roadway in
persuading individual property
owners to exercise great care in
avoiding the creation of breed
lng-places."
The small appropriation made by
the county commissioners has dons
wonders. The work of DR.. J. w.
Chambliss, chairman of the coun.
ty health board is gratifying and
to him is due the credit for the
progress made.
But the fight has just begun. 1t
viii take time and money to ef-
tectlyely stamp out malaria in
Sumter.
Every reader of this should do
his part, for every one has part
to perform. Talk and think elm
nation. Let your county commits
sloners know that you are behind
them in their right and the fight
of the health board.