Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1937-05-09
DR.. L. l.. Williams, Jr.

DR.. L. l.. Williams, Jr.
hight against malaria, for it released
funds through relief and other enner-
gency Government agencies that en-
abts the doctors. the sanitary en-
siaeers and the laboratory technicians
III the United States Public Health
Service and the National Institute Of
Health to dig bitches, drain swamps,
MI in ponds, set up laboratories and
study slides all over that section Of
our country-the sunny Southland
where the malaria mosquito has buZ3ed
disastrously for many years, reducing
the industrial value of its citizens to
minimum. and otherwise playing
havoc with the health OF the people
and economics of the community, for
where malaria germs abound in the
blood the individual loses one-third
OF his normal efficiency. The result
OF this lingering drain upon the vital
tty of its citizens has cost the South,
In peak years OF malaria epidemics,
about one-haf billion dollars annually.
Only a few weeks ago the last mys-
FERROUS link in this war against ma
lAr1a was sought when an expedition
set out from the Public Health Service
for Savannah, Ca, for field research
On one type Of mosquito that has
proved the most pernicious little Grim
4nal of them Al-the specie known to
science as "Anopheles quadrimacu-
htlN"-"qad" for short. Out OF nine
types Of mosquitoes found to infest
various areas, eight have been brought,
In a measure. under control, their
individual breeding preferences and
other peculiarities serving as the clue
to conquest. This ninth individual,
however. has proved tenacious OF life,
and science is concentrating now upon
its determination.
A GREAT deal has been accom-
plished by the relentless health
sleuths OF the Government, and thou
sands Of slides of school children in
various areas have been examined
and recorded by the National Insti-
tute OF Health as an aid in the pro-
gram. A plan for clearing swamp
lands and digging bitches, for con-
the presence OF the malaria parasite in
the blood and otherwise for clearing
up situation that has long men
aosd public health has been sub
mitted to all States where this malady
takes annual toll. As . result, out
Of Is States where malaria Is q
problem 1t has been found to be Of
major menace in 49, OF these Is,
financing has been secured for 7 and
projected In more, and In more
It rs projected or programs have
been adopted in part DR.. Louis L.
Williams Of the United States Public
Health Service Il In charge of malaria
control work, with much of the
laboratory work done by the National
Institute Of Health.
TO understand Just what science
has accomplished in combating this
soourge OF man, we must realize
something OF the magnitude of the
problem that first became evident
IN 1882. In that period all over the
United States. except in the noun
famous regions, malaria was q drain
upon the vitality Of citizens and took
It's toll Of lives and health. With
that fascinating inevitability that
marks the rise and fall OF disease,
there was a decline m the appearance
Of malaria, until in 1912 it account
ed for dark areas only in the Southern
section OF the United States, particu-
Larry around the Gulf OF Mexico and
along = narrow strip in the South
west.
DR.. Williams has an explanation
tor the disappearance OF malaria from
other regions Of the United States.
he points out that with the first
clearing Of the lands throughout all
those regions where It offered posi-
bilities for farming, the tall native
timber Of the forests was cut down,
q man made way for filling fields.
Mosquitoes require four things to
survive" explained DR.. Williams,
quiet water, hoatage, sunshine and
shade. When men cut down the trees
they created ideal conditions for mos
quitoes. There was hoatage upon
the water Of the swamp lands, and
the fallen timber created shade and
permitted sunlight also to seep
through. There was great increase
In the numbers OF mosquitoes bred
IN these native swamps, and it was
not until drainage of the land be-
gan, continuing until 1912, that the
bulk Of Anopheles was reduced"
THE first anti-malaria1 work in the
United States was begun in 1912
under DR.. H. r. Carter and DR.. r. H.
Won Bsdorf, when much OF the mos
quito breeding land was drained. BY
1882 there were only spotted areas in
TIE South and Southwest where ma
LARA was Affecting the inha bitants.
It Nas in this year that the United
States Public Health Service took
thick blood tests from 150,oo0 school
children In the South. The tests
ware made on rural grammar school
children between the aSes Of 8 and
Il In this period VIXEN malaria WAS