The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1940-08-08
Syphilis Is Holmes Countys
Greatest Social Problem

One of the greatest economic and
social problems of Holmes County is
syphilis. We hear a great deal of talk
about National preparedness, but re-
CARELESS of our National problems,
we all have the individual problem of
being prepared to live and to be eq-
uirped mentally and physically for a
life of the greatest usefulness to our
selves and fellow man. We recognize
that the climate and weather condi-
tons influence in determining our
economic status, but when we ana
lyse the reasons why people lose their
homes, we find that bad health plays
a major role.
Every person in this county can be
effected directly o T indirectly by
syphilis. Those that are not effected
by the disease may be effected by in
competent labor because of this dis
ease, Syphilis has been called the
'last plague" "the greatest killer of
mankind" ''the great imitator". 1t is
called the greatest killer because it
can effect every part of the body.
We know that one of the greatest
cause of heart disease in middle life
is syphilis, but we know that heart
disease is the leading cause Of death
in this county as well as the nation.
because it causes symptoms which
may initiate every known disease
from A to z or at least from abor-
ton to zoster. Regardless OF all that
may be said about the disease we
know that it is a specific disease
caused by the treponema pallida, a
pale corkscrew shaped organism.
When we consider the large number
of instances where this disease is in
herited and the large number of in
stances where it is acquired innocent
ly by the marital partner, we do not
wonder that the estimate is as high as
SO per cent of cases being acquired
innocently.
The disease is classified as to the
duration and stage. The primary, or
first stage, being a local ulcer at the
site of invasion of the organisms.
The secondary stage is usually
thought of as the rash stage. This
may appear very much as heat or an
un-noticed rash or mucous patches in
the mouth or on moist tissue. For
practical purposes the doctor usually
thinks of it as being in the early or
late stage or as being latent or ac-
tive. Every person should have d
blood test made to determine if he
or she may have syphilis because of
the fact that any one of the stages
may be overlooked and because Of
the possibility that syphilis may be
acquired so easily. We know for in
stance that these germs can live for
an one-half hour on a moist drinking
glass and that a person can thereby
be infected.
1t is generally estimated that a.
bout 3 per cent of the white popula-
ton and % per cent of the Negro
population have syphilis. Our recent
tests have not been this high for the
Negro population and one of the re-
gular practicing physicians of this
county told me this week that 3 per
cent for the white population is too
low an estimate.
Last year the Federal and State
government through the State Board
of Health, agreed to furnish about
two-thirds of the necessary expenses
to establish an operate clinics in this
county for the treatment of this dis
ease. Your Director of Public Health
ask our Board of Supervisors to
provide one-third of a mill to match
these funds being provided through
the Federal government and your
State legislature. Through the clinics|