The daily monitor leader. [volume] (Mount Clemens, Mich.) 1942-19??, 1942-06-25


of malaria every year. That is more
than were lost in the last World
War. 1t is not prevalent In the
United States except in our SOUTH
ern areas.
But almost any place our soldiers
are being sent, they will be exposed
to it's ravages. 1t is possible that
those in Iceland and Alaska may
escape. as the malaria carrying
mosquito-the female anopheleS-
does not thrive we'll in cold climates
and at high attitudes.
All other fighting zones are hot
beds of malaria-Hawaii Panama,
the Philippines, Africa, East Indies,
China, India, Russia, Italy and all
the Near East. The disease Is fairly
we'll controlled in England and
France.
Importance of Quinine
So our boys are likely TO suffer
from malaria. There is only one
preventive and one cure and that is
Quinine. Much effort and expert
mentation has been made in the
effort to find some substitute for
Quinine and some success has been
attained, but none of these .ynthe-
tics has proved really efficacious,
and the available amount is small.
For centuries, quinlne and It's
curative effects on tropical feyers
have been known. 1t is obtained
almost entirely from the Dutch
' East Indies, Malaga, and the Near
East. There was at one time large
natural growth in South America,
but 1t was not cultivated and has
ceased to be source OF large sup
ply.
Fortunately, the supply has al
ways been adequate but getting 1t
when it was needed was the topic
of quite another matter and a vast
amount of disability and many
deaths resulted.
Not long ago, Gregor Zeimer, in
his radio broadcast entitled, Back
grounds" related that 85 per cent
of the quinine of the world was in
the hands of the Japanese and we
could not get it. have since heard
directly from Mr.. Zeimer, with the
information that member Of the
government procurement division
had informed him that they had
enough quinine for q year and q
half Of normal consumption, but
the consumption will be quite alb
normal, decidedly so. No doubt
many of our medical houses have
been more forehanded than the
government and have large sup
ply on hand.
Military Secret
I should think it wise that every
one lay in a supply Of this drug but
that would not be right. Our soldier
boys need it far more than we do,
and perhaps when they come home
carrying malaria, the war will be
over and we can obtain a supply.
I was told by an army medical
officer year ago that they had put
In a requisition for all they could
get, but the civilian government
officers had a different idea. We do
not know how much the govern
ment poSSeSses-it is considered a
military Secret-but recently Jesse
Jones said he had purchased five
million ounces, which means a re-
serve at the end Of year Of half
million ounces. Do your own figur-
ing as to what that signifies.
1t would seem strange that the
richest country in the world should
have a shortage of many vital ne
cesSities at the first signs OF an
emergency, but that is often char
acteristic of people who think they
are able to buy when and what they
want. 1t is an oft-repeated matter
of underestimation. We are sup
posed TO have very brilliant men at
the heads of all government de-
partments, but we underestimate
Japan. We are now paying through
the nose for thinking that Japan
would not attempt to attack us and
overrun all the East Indies.
Thus we are facing present des-
perate needs in rubber, tin. and
quinine, and similar necessities. l
suppose We are all equally guilty.
but we like to place the blame on
authorities, when we find ourselves
In need. 1t will be up TO us to con-
serve our supplies with unusual
care, and In that way make up for
our extravaganza.