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North  Carolina  State  library 
Raleigh     Tj^Jm^ 


HOOKWORM  DISEASE 
By- 
John  A.   Ferrell,  M.D, 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2010  with  funding  from 
State  Library  of  North  Carolina 


http://www.archive.org/details/hookwormdiseaseOOferr 


HOOKWORM    DISEASE 


JOHN  A.  FERRELL,  M,D. 

Assistant  Secretary  North  Carolina  State  Board  of  Health  for  the  Eradication 
of  Hookworm  Disease 


ISSUED  BY 

NORTH  CAROLINA  STATE  BOARD  OF  HEALTH 
RALEIGH,    N.   C. 

REVISAL  No.  2 


EDWARDS  &  BROUGHTON   PRINTING  CO.,    RALEIGH,   N.   0. 


Hookworm  Disease 


John  A.  Ferrell,  M.D., 
Assistant  Secretary  for  the  Eradication  of  Hookworm  Disease. 


HISTORY  AND  GEOGRAPHICAL  DISTRIBUTION  OF 
HOOKWORM    DISEASE. 

First  Knowledge  of  the  Disease. — Evidence  tends  to  show  that 
hookworm  disease  has  existed  from  time  immemorial.  Even  in  the  days 
of  the  Egyptian  Empire  the  existence  of  such  an  anaemia-producing  dis- 
ease had  been  spoken  of,  though  its  cause  was  not  understood.  Not 
until  1838  was  the  hookworm  mentioned  in  medicine.  Then  it  was  seen 
by  Dr.  Angelo  Dubini,  an  Italian,  who,  in  performing  an  autopsy,  found 
a  small  white  worm  with  its  head  buried  in  the  mucous  membrane  of 
the  small  intestine.  Beyond  this,  little  advancement  was  made  until 
1877,  when  the  eggs  of  the  worm  were  discovered  in  the  stools  of  an- 
aemic, pale-blooded  patients,  by  Grassi,  another  Italian  physician,  and 
the  parasites  and  anaemia  were  associated. 

Recognized  as  a  Cause  of  Death. — During  the  construction  of  St. 
Gothard  Tunnel,  which  was  undertaken  in  1872,  many  of  the  tunnel 
diggers  became  sick  and  died.  Dr.  Colomiatti  found  in  the  intestine  of 
a  man  who  died  with  the  tunnel  sickness  more  than  fifteen  hundred 
hookworms.  Since  that  time  the  parasite  has  been  recognized  as  the 
cause  of  anaemia,  and  is  now  termed  the  hookworm. 

Found  Prevalent  in  Old  World. — In  the  Eastern  Hemisphere  the 
disease  was  studied  and  found  prevalent  in  regions  where  its  existence 
is  favored  by  climatic  conditions.  It  is  now  known  to  belt  the  globe  in 
a  zone  extending  from  30°  south  latitude  to  36°  north  latitude. 

New  Type  Found  in  America.— Only  in  recent  years  has  the  presence 
of  hookworm  disease  in  America  been  known.  The  worm,  here,  though 
exercising  the  same  action  on  man  as  those  found  in  the  Old  World, 
differs  distinctly  from  them  in  many  anatomical  details.  Since  it  is 
with  the  hookworm  of  America,  known  as  the  New  World  hookworm, 
that  we  are  to  deal,  except  in  very  rare  instances,  the  worm  described 
later  will  be  of  the  American  type. 

Climatic  and  Geographical  Conditions  Determine  Its  Distribu- 
tion.— The  distribution  of  hookworm  disease  is  dependent  upon  cli- 
matic, geographical  and  sanitary  conditions.  A  combined  condition  of 
warmth  and  moisture,  with  the  presence  of  oxygen,  is  necessary  for 
the  propagation.  Thus,  in  the  tropical  and  subtropical  zones,  where 
the  fall  of  rain  is  sufficient  to  keep  the  earth  moist,  we  have  an  ideal 
surrounding  for  hookworm  disease. 

Moreover,  the  infecting  hookworm  larva  thrives  best  where  the  soil  is 
saady  and  porous,  where  it  can  easily  bury  itself  deep  enough  in  the 
soil  to  be  beyond  the  drying  action  of  the  sun. 


Infected  People  Necessary  for  Spread  of  Disease. — All  the  favor- 
able conditions  for  the  disease  may  prevail  in  a  given  locality  and  yet 
no  hookworm  disease  will  exist,  unless  the  eggs  of  the  parasite  have 
been  deposited  there  with  the  feces  of  some  infected  person  and  allowed 
to  develop.  Hence,  in  cities,  where  sewerage  systems  are  used,  or  the 
night  soil  collected  and  hauled  away,  regardless  of  climatic  conditions, 
we  do  not  find  the  disease. 

Rural  Sections  Favorable  to  Its  Spread. — Elsewhere,  on  the  con- 
trary, where  open  privies  and,  far  too  often,  no  privies  at  all,  are  used, 
millions  upon  millions  of  eggs  are  scattered  over  the  earth,  and  develop 
into  minute,  infecting  worms  ready  to  attack  and  victimize  any  accessi- 
ble member  of  the  human  family. 

In  the  Southern  States  all  the  factors  necessary  for  the  propagation 
of  the  disease  are  found.  We  have  the  warmth,  moisture,  oxygen,  and 
infected  people,  who  pollute  the  soil.  North  of  the  Ohio  and  Potomac 
rivers  the  climate  is  too  cold  and,  in  the  arid  West,  too  dry  to  favor 
the  disease.     In  these  sections,  therefore,  the'  disease  is  rare. 

Hookworm  Disease  Affects  Animals. — Domestic  and  wild  animals 
suffer  from  hookworm  disease.  Cows,  dogs,  cats,  and  foxes,  and  many 
other  animals  in  certain  localities,  have  been  known  to  sicken  and  die 
in  large  numbers  from  hookworm  disease.  For  man  it  is  indeed  fortu- 
nate that  the  hookworms  found  in  such  animals  do  not  molest  him. 
The  hookworm  which  infests  man  belongs  to  a  type  separate  and  dis- 
tinct from  those  found  in  animals. 

These  facts  considered,  let  us  now  direct  our  attention  to  the  hook- 
worm as  a  parasite  and  a  disease  producing  factor. 

THE  HOOKWORM:   ITS  LIFE  CYCLE. 

Hookworm  Eggs. — The  hookworm  (see  Figs.  1  and  2)  germinates 
from  an  egg.  This  egg  (Fig.  3),  with  myriads  of  others,  passes  with 
the  excreta  from  the  bowels  of  an  infected  person.  A  lack  of  oxygen 
in  the  human  intestine  prevents  its  hatching  until  it  has  passed  from 
the  body. 


(  ) 


Figure  1.    A  male  hookworm,  natural  size. 

Figure  2.    A  female  hookworm,  natural  size.     (P.  H.  &  M.  H.  Service.) 

Size  of  Egg. — The  egg  is  far  too  small  to  be  seen  by  the  unaided  eye. 
It  must  be  magnified  a  hundred  times  to  be  recognized.  So  small  is  it 
that  in  a  portion  of  feces  no  larger  than  the  head  of  a  small  pin  two  or 
three  dozen  eggs  may  be  found.  In  shape,  size  and  markings  it  differs 
distinctly  from  the  egg  of  any  other  worm.  It  is  oval,  rather  bluntly 
rounded  at  the  ends.  The  yolk  is  dark  in  appearance  and  is  surrounded 
by  a  clear,  transparent  zone  which  separates  it  from  the  shell. 


Figure  3.  Development  of  old  world  hookworm.  A,  B.  C,  D,  E,  F,  G,  changes  occurring 
in  egg  preparatory  to  developing  of  little  worm.  H,  I.  J,  K,  stages  of  the  worm's  development 
until  it  emerges  from  the  eggshell.  L  and  M,  empty  eggshells.  Greatly  enlarged.  (After  Per- 
incito.     Courtesy  of  C.  V.  Mosby  Pub.  Co.) 


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Figure  4.  This  shows  a  shoe  of  skin  as  seen  under  the  microscope.  Notice  how  the  young, 
hookworms  are  crawling  through  the  skin.  This  is  the  way  "ground-itch"  or  "dew-itch'- 
looks.     (P.  H.  &  M.  H.  Service.) 


Eggs  Hatch  in  12  to  24  Hours.— In  the  open  air,  with  other  condi- 
tions favorable,  the  egg  requires  only  one  or  two  days  to  germinate  into 
an  embryo  or  tiny  larva.  This  larva  bursts  forth  from  its  encasing 
shell  and  begins  feeding.  Rapidly  developing  in  size,  it,  within  a  week, 
twice  sheds  its  skin,  the  new  skin  forming  underneath  the  original  one. 
The  second  skin  is  detached  from  practically  the  entire  body  surface, 
but  remains  about  the  larva  as  a  protecting  sheath. 

Requires  a  Week  to  Reach  Infective  Stage. — At  this  stage  of  its 
development  the  worm  is  still  too  small  to  be  seen  with  the  unaided 
eye;  in  fact,  many  of  them  could  live  in  a  single  drop  of  water  and 
yet  not  be  crowded.  Reaching  this  period  in  its  life  cycle,  it  is  known 
as  the  encysted  larva.  As  such  it  takes  in  no  more  food,  and  grows  no 
more,  but  possesses  remarkable  vitality.  It  will  live  thus  six  weeks, 
perhaps  nine  months.  This  little  larva  has  reached  what  is  known  as 
the  infective  stage. 

In  order  to  continue  life  and  develop  further,  it  must  enter  the  body 
of  a  human  being — its  host — and  find  its  way  to  the  intestinal  canal, 
for  only  there  can  adult  life  be  reached. 

MODES   OF   INFECTION. 

Contaminated  Food  or  Water  May  Carry  Infection. — Early  writers 
held  that  the  infecting  larva  was  swallowed  with  contaminated  water  or 
food.  Celery,  lettuce,  radishes,  strawberries  or  other  fruits  might  carry 
the  larva,  yet  one's  eyes  could  not  see  the  tiny  enemy.  Thus  a  person 
may,  unknowingly,  swallow  it  and  become  infected.  The  hands  of  a 
child  may  make  mud  pies  of  polluted  soil  and,  without  being  washed, 
carry  bread  to  the  child's  mouth.  At  present,  infection  through  the 
mouth  is  regarded  as  occurring  much  less  frequently  than  through  the 
skin. 

Skin  Infection  Very  Common. — The  common  mode  of  infection  is 
known  to  be  through  the  skin. 


Figure  5.     Experimental  Hookworm  Infection.     Shows  confluent  vesicle  (blister)  for  ma 
tion  with  slight  decrease  of  swelling.   {Photograph  furnished  by  Dr.  Claude  A.  Smith.      Courtesy 
of  C.  V.  Mosby  Pub.  Co.) 


6 

Loose  experimentally  demonstrated  that  if  water  or  soil  contaminated 
with  the  encysted  hookworm  larva  is  brought  in  contact  with  the  skin 
(Fig.  5),  the  parasite  will  attach  itself  and  bore  its  way  through  the 
skin.    The  old  protecting  sheath  is  left  behind  as  the  larva  enters  the  skin. 

Six  Weeks  Required  to  Complete  Development. — After  about  six 
weeks  the  eggs  of  the  adult  worm  will  begin  to  pass  regularly  in  the 
stools  of  the  infected  person.  Treatment  reveals  the  adult  worm,  and 
on  its  completion  there  is  no  further  appearance  of  eggs  in  the  stools. 
Others  have  since  confirmed  this  work.  All  noticed  that  ivhen  the  larvw 
are  penetrating  the  skin,  a  typical  "ground  itch"  develops.  Since  many 
thousands  of  cases  have  been  treated,  and  in  all  cases  with,  of  course, 
some  exceptions,  a  history  of  "ground  itch"  is  given,  which  occurred 
prior  to  the  beginning  of  the  impaired  health  of  the  host,  we  are  con- 
vinced that  "ground  itch"  (Fig.  4),  "dew  poison,"  or  "foot  itch,"  as  it 
is  variously  termed,  is  the  initial  symptom  of  hookworm  disease. 

How  the  Little  Worm  Passes  From  the  Skin  to  the  Intestine. — 
Entering  the  skin  (Fig.  4),  the  larva  probably  directly,  or  indirectly 
through  the  lymphatic  system,  reaches  the  blood  current  and  by  it  is 


V, 


Figure  6.    This  shows  two  young  hookworms  in  the  lungs.    The  worm  on  the  left  is 
entering  the  air  tubes.     (P.  H.  &  M,  H.  Service.) 

swept  through  the  heart  and  on  to  the  lungs  (Fig.  6).  Being  too  large 
to  pass  through  the  blood  capillaries  of  the  lungs,  it  bursts  out  of  them 
and  enters  the  air  spaces.  It  probably  crawls  along  these  until  the 
trachea  or  windpipe  is  reached.  This  is  ascended.  In  turn  this  active, 
resistant,  unseen  foe  reaches  the  throat,  passes  down  the  esophagus  to 
the  stomach,  and  ultimately  to  the  small  intestine. 

Development  Completed  in  Intestine. — Its  struggle  for  existence 
may  now  be  rewarded,  for  it  is  at  its  final  home  and  may  complete  its 
development,  becoming  an  adult  hookworm.  In  this  transition  it  twice 
sheds  its  skin,  takes  much  food,  and  grows  remarkably  in  size. 


Size  of  Adult  Hookworm:. — The  adult  hookworm  varies  in  size  from 
one-third  to  two-thirds  of  an  inch  in  length  (see  Figs.  1  and  2),  and  is 
about  the  thickness  of  a  small  hairpin  or  a  No.  30  thread. 

Color. — It  is  white,  as  a  rule,  but  will  often  appear  of  a  dark,  brown- 
ish color,  due  to  blood  taken  into  its  system. 


Figure  7.  Selma  Ellis,  of  Columbus  county.  Photograph  made  at  county  dispensary. 
Age  16,  weight  62J^  pounds;  anemic  ulcer  on  leg;  ill  8  years.  He  was  unable  to  go  to  school 
or  work;  in  fact  he  was  unable  to  sit  or  stand. 

Reason  for  the  Name. — The  name  hookworm  may  have  originated 
from  the  appearance  of  the  worm.  Its  head  bends  back  on  its  neck  like 
a  hook;  the  teeth  of  the  Old  World  hookworm  closely  suggest  hooks; 
and,  in  the  male,  the  rays  or  ribs  in  the  fan-shaped  tail  resemble  hooks. 
Hence,  there  are  three  excuses  offered  for  the  name. 

Peculiar  Structure  of  Worm. — The  mouth  is  cup-shaped  (Fig.  8). 
There  is  a  prominent  dorso-medial  tooth  and  two  ventro-lateral  curved 
plates  just  within  the  outer  margin  of  the  mouth.  These  enable  the 
worm  to  attach  and  hold  himself  to  the  intestinal  lining.  Laterally 
placed,  two  on  each  side  of  the  mouth,  are  lancets  which  pierce  the 
flesh,  making  openings  through  which  the  blood  can  escape.  Into  the 
bite  the  worm  injects  a  poisonous  secretion  from  a  gland  in  the  worm's 
head.  Besides  its  poisonous  action  to  the  person  infected,  the  poison 
keeps  the  blood  from  clotting.  In  the  female  the  generative  organs  are 
anteriorly  situated  and  posteriorly  in  the  male.  Eggs  are  deposited  in 
immense  numbers  by  the  worms  and  pass  out  of  the  intestine  with  the 
excreta. 

The  harmful  effects  resulting,  then,  from  the  presence  of  the  worm  in 
the  bowel  may  be  numbered  as  follows: 

First.  The  loss  of  blood  ingested  by  the  worm  and  the  more  impor- 
tant loss  occurring  by  the  oozing  for  hours  of  blood  from  wounds  left 
by  the  worm. 

Second.     The  secretion  injected  by  the  worm  is  poisonous. 


Third.  The  wounds  of  the  worm  set  up  .a  chronic  inflammation 
which  impairs  digestion. 

Fourth.  Through  them  entrance  into  the  system  by  disease  produc- 
ing bacteria  is  made  easy. 

Fifth.  Eggs  are  deposited  which,  when  expelled  fro,n  the  body,  de- 
velop into  infecting  worms. 


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Figure  8.     Selma  Ellis  seven  weeks  later  after  taking  the  hookworm  treatment.     He  was 
able  to  walk  and  run;  weighed  79  pounds;  and  during  the  past  winter  he  has  been  in  school. 

Resulting  from   these  harmful  effects  the  host  is  found  to  present 
certain  pronounced  symptoms  which  we  shall  now  consider. 


SYMPTOMS  OF  HOOKWORM  DISEASE. 

The  symptoms  of  hookworm,  disease  vary  in  severity  with  the  degree 
and  effect  of  the  infection.     They  may  be  mild,  medium,  or  severe. 
Mild  Cases. — In  mild  cases  perhaps  no  symptoms  are  observable,  and 


Figure  9.     This  shows  the   head  of  a   hookworm  as  the  parasite  is  feeding,  attached  to 
the  wall  of  the  bowels.     (P.  H.  &  M.  H.  Service.) 


unless  a  microscopic  examination  reveals  the  eggs  in  the  stools,  the 
existence  of  the  disease  is  not  suspected. 

Medium  Severity. — In  medium  severity  the  cases  present  a  recogniz- 
able anaemia,  and  other  symptoms  seen  in  severe  cases  are  in  sufficient 
evidence  to  suggest  the  nature  of  the  disease 

Severe  Cases. —  (See  Pig.  10.)  In  severe  cases  we  have  presented  a 
subject  so  pitiable,  so  frail,  so  thin-blooded,  so  dwarfed  mentally  and 
physically,  that  the  layman  who  has  read  of  the  disease  will  recog- 
nize it. 

Stunts  Development. — When  infection  occurs  during  the  growing 
age,  or  before  maturity  is  reached,  there  is  a  marked  lack  of  develop- 
ment.    A  child  of  fourteen  years  will  appear  not,  over  ten. 

Body  Looks  Bloodless. — The  skin  is  white  and  tallow-like,  or  some- 
times tan-colored.  The  mucous  membranes  are  pale,  often  as  white  as 
the  skin.  The  face,  body  and  legs  are  often  bloated.  The  hair  is  dry 
and  brittle.  On  the  head,  it  is  usually  normal  in  quantity,  but  is  scant 
in  the  armpits.  In  males  the  beard  is  scant  and  poorly  developed. 
Ulcers  and  wounds  heal  slowly. 

Appearance  of  Pace,  Eyes  and  Chest  and  Abdomen  — The  face  pre- 
sents a  stupid  appearance  and  the  eyes  a  blank  stare,  the  pupils  being 
dilated.  The  tongue  is  often  raw  on  the  edges,  and  has  purplish  spots 
or  seams  on  its  upper  surface.  The  chest  is  thin,  the  ribs  prominent, 
and  the  shoulder  blades  stand  out  as  "angel  wings."  The  prominent 
abdomen  gives  rise  to  such  terms  as  "pot  belly,"  "shad  belly,"  etc. 

The  Appetite  Affected. — The  appetite  is  capricious,  being  often  poor, 
often  ravenous.  Abnormal  desire  for  certain  articles  of  food,  as  pickles, 
salt,  buttermilk,  etc.,  is  common.     In  late  stages  of  the  disease  the  appe- 


10 

tite  is  so  perverted  that  dirt,  clay,  plaster,  wood,  thread,  etc.,  may  be 
craved  and  eaten.  Diarrhea  or  constipation  may  be  found,  the  latter 
more  commonly. 

Other  Unpleasant  Symptoms. — Palpitation  of  the  heart  and  other 
disorders  are  common.  Headaches  are  intense,  pain  on  pressure  is 
present  in  the  pit  of  the  stomach,  and  from  one  cause  or  another  the 
patient  is  a  constant  sufferer.  He  will  tire  easily  and  get  out  of  breath 
on  exertion.  The  temperature  varies  from  97°  to  102°,  98  2-5  being 
normal.  The  rise  occurs  frequently  with  the  onset  of  the  disease,  and 
as  it  progresses  is  occasionally  seen,  especially  in  the  afternoons.  De- 
velopment is  retarded,  girls  often  being  eighteen  or  nineteen  before 
passing  into  womanhood,  and  even  then  are  frail  and  flat  chested. 

Quantity  and  Quality  of  Blood  Diminished. — The  blood  is  thin, 
that  is  to  say,  in  redness  or  richness  it  is  often  only  20  per  cent  of 
normal;  and  the  number  of  red  blood  cells  to  the  drop  of  blood  (one 
cubic  millimeter)  are  reduced  from  the  normal  number  of  5,000,000  to 
as  low  as  745,000  in  recorded  cases,  and  there  is  an  eosinophilia  in 
many  cases  of  as  much  as  13  per  cent,  that  is  to  say.  there  is  an  ex- 
cessive number  of  a  particular  kind  of  white  blood  cells. 

The  nervous  system  suffers  with  Other  portions  of  the  body.  The 
mind  is  dull,  and  the  patient  suffers  with  headaches,  dizziness,  lassi- 
tude, insomnia  or  somnolence.     He  is  likely  to  be  timid  and  emotional. 

A  Mental  as  Well  as  a  Physical  Handicap. — In  school  he  is  very 
backward,  at  work  very  irregular  and  slow.  It  often  requires  nine  or 
more  years  to  complete  the  usual  six  years  course.  It  requires  all  his 
power  to  continue  living.  Indeed,  many  fail  in  this,  and  either  directly 
from  hookworm  disease,  or  from  some  intercurrent  disease  invited  by 
it,  the  number  who  succumb  is  large. 

Prepares  Victims  for  Invasion  of  Other  Death-dealing  Maladies. — 
Hookworm  disease,  by  sapping  the  blood,  poisoning  the  body,  impair- 
ing digestion,  and  wounding  the  intestine,  robs  the  body  of  those  quali- 
ties necessary  for  resisting  the  invasion  of  other  diseases.  With  its 
defenses  thus  destroyed,  it  is  easily  invaded  by  the  death-dealing  germs 
of  tuberculosis,  typhoid  fever,  or  pneumonia.  Thus  thousands  of  deaths 
immediately  attributed  to  the  diseases  named  are  in  fact  due  primarily 
to  hookworm  disease.  King  and  Ashford,  who,  in  Porto  Rico,  have 
treated  upward  of  300,000  cases,  hold  the  disease  responsible  for  30  per 
cent  of  all  the  deaths  on  the  island.  As  a  result  of  their  work  a  re- 
duction of  the  island's  death  rate  shows  that  150,000  lives  have  been 
saved.  A  person  mildly  infected  will  perhaps  outlive  hookworm  disease 
if  he  should  not  become  reinfected  for  ten  to  fifteen  years.  The  para- 
sites do  not  multiply  in  the  intestine,  and  in  ten  to  fifteen  years  die 
from  old  age. 

DIAGNOSIS  OF  HOOKWORM  DISEASE. 

The  Microscope  Affords  Positive  Method  for  Diagnosis. — The  clin- 
ical symptoms  of  hookworm  disease  in  severe  cases  are  all  that  are 


11 


Figure  10.  Wake  County  boy,  age  16.  Photograph  taken  after  he  had  gained  17J-2 
pounds.  This  increase  resulted  from  one  treatment.  Paeient  still  infected,  but  able  to 
work  six  days  of  the  week.    Before  treatment,  was  almost  completely  incapacitated. 


12 

necessary  for  making  a  diagnosis.  For  mild,  and  light  infections  the 
microscopic  recognition  of  the  eggs  in  the  stools  is  conclusive.  Further 
confirmation  in  all  cases  can  be  had  by  treatment,  when  the  worms  are 
killed  and  are  found  passing  in  the  stools. 

TREATMENT  OF  HOOKWORM  DISEASE. 

Thymol  and  Epsom  Salts. — The  treatment  of  hookworm  disease  is  a 
simple  matter.  Epsom  salts  and  thymol  are  the  drugs  used.  The  object 
desired  is  to  clean  the  mucous  and  food  particles  from  the"  intestinal 
tract,  so  that  the  worms  will  be  exposed  to  the  action  of  the  thymol. 
This  is  accomplished  by  the  administration  at  night  of  a  dose  of  epsom 
salts.  Ordinarily,  Saturday  night  is  preferred,  as  it  will  then  cause  no 
loss  of  time.  In  treating  children  of  parents  who  work  out  by  the  day, 
the  parents  will  be  at  home  on  Sunday.  Sunday  morning,  at  6  a.  m., 
one-half  of  the  total  dose  of  thymol  in  capsules  is  given;  at  8  o'clock 
the  other  half  is  given,  and  at  10  a.  m.  a  second  dose  of  epsom  salts  is 
taken.  Having  cleaned  away  the  mucus  from  around  the  worms,  the 
thymol  acts  directly  on  them  as  a  poison.  While  poisoned,  the  second 
dose  of  salts  sweeps  them  out  of  the  bowel  before  enough  thymol  may 
be  absorbed  by  the  patient  to  cause  undesirable  symptoms. 

Caution. — Alcohol  and  oils  are  solvents  for  thymol,  and  it  would  be 
exceedingly  dangerous  for  either  of  these  to  be  taken  by  the  patient. 
Gravy,  butter,  milk,  etc.,  must  not  be  taken  on  days  when  thymol  is 
given.  Patent  medicines  contain  alcohol,  and  must  be  forbidden.  The 
safe  plan  to  follow  is  to  forbid  any  food  or  drink,  except  water,  on  the 
morning  when  the  thymol  is  taken. 

Moreover,  as  many  hookworm  subjects  have  dilated  stomachs,  which 
do  not  readily  empty  themselves,  and  as  it  is  important  that  the  thymol 
reach  the  small  intestine  at  once,  the  patient  should  lie  on  the  right 
side  for  at  least  a  half  hour  after  taking  each  dose  of  thymol.  The 
apparent  age,  not  the  actual  age,  is  considered  when  deciding  the  size 
of  the  dose.  Powder  the  thymol  and  give  in  capsules.  If  sugar  of  milk 
is  added  grain  for  grain  with  the  thymol,  the  results  are  more  satis- 
factory. 

DOSE  OF  THYMOL. 


Age 


Grains 


Grams 


0  A.  M. 


1  to    5  years.. 

5  to  10  years.. 
10  to  15  years.. 
15  to  20  years.. 
20  to  60  years  __ 
60  and  upwards 


7.5 

15. 

1. 

.30. 

2. 

45. 

3. 

60. 

4. 

4, 

3. 

J-2  dose. 
Yi  dose. 
J  2  dose. 
}-2  dose. 
y-i  dose. 
Y  dose. 


y2  dose. 
lA  dose. 
Yi  dose. 
J'a  dose. 
Yz  dose. 
i  _>  dose. 


A  dose  of  ep?om  salts  at  10  a.  m.,  following  the  thymol. 


13 

Male  fern,  beta-napthol,  and  other  remedies  have  been  used  in  treat- 
ing hookworm  disease.  Dr.  Stiles  says  we  have  all  we  desire  in  thymol, 
and  it  is  probably  wise  to  let  well  enough  alone. 

By  making  an  examination  for  hookworm  eggs  microscopically  after 
each  dose,  it  is  possible  to  know  when  the  treatment  is  finished.  If 
the  microscopic  examination  can  not  be  made,  then  the  feces  can  be 
examined  after  each  treatment  for  worms.  When  no  more  worms  are 
seen,  one  extra  dose,  for  good  measure,  should  be  given. 

PREVENTION. 

Prevent  Soil  Pollution. — The  prevention  of  hookworm  disease  will 
ultimately  require  that  the  soil  be  protected  from  pollution.  The  dirt 
must  be  kept  clean.  Until  this  is  accomplished,  much  of  the  infection 
can  be  prevented  by  wearing  shoes.  This,  however,  does  not  reach  the 
foundation  necessary  to  eradicate  the  disease. 

How  Prevented. — Sanitary  privies  (Fig.  11)  must  be  constructed 
and  used  by  all  the  people.  This  will  prevent  any  further  soil  pollu- 
tion, and  the  hookworm  larvae  now  living  will  soon  die.  Should  those 
now  infected  refuse  treatment,  but  could  be  induced  or,  if  possible, 
forced  to  use  sanitary  privies,  only  a  few  years  would  be  required  be- 
fore the  worms  now  living  would  be  extinct.  The  requirements  of  a 
sanitary  privy  are  that  it  have  a  water-tight,  fly-proof  receptacle,  and 
that  the  contents  of  the  receptacle  be  disposed  of  in  a  sanitary  way.  If 
not  burned,  treated  with  germicides  or  allowed  to  ferment  in  a  way 
that  will  mean  death  to  pathogenic  organisms.  (Write  to  the  North 
Carolina  State  Board  of  Health,  Hookworm  Commission,  Raleigh,  for  an 
illustrated  pamphlet  giving  plans  and  specifications  for  sanitary 
privies.) 

PREVALENCE  OF  HOOKWORM  IN  THE  SOUTH. 

We  have  mentioned  above  all  the  factors  necessary  for  the  prevalence 
of  hookworm  disease  and  shown  that  they  are  found  in  the  South. 
People  who  live  in  the  country,  away  from  sewerage  systems,  and  work 
in  the  soil,  suffer  more  frequently  than  city  residents.  Those  who  go 
barefooted,  or  in  other  ways  allow  the  skin  to  come  in  contact  with  pol- 
luted soil,  show  a  high  percentage  of  infection.  In  Porto  Rico,  King 
and  Ashford  reported  that  probably  90  per  cent  of  the  rural  population 
was  infected.  Stiles,  the  discoverer  of  hookworm  in  America,  and  the 
leader  in  the  crusade  against  it,  estimates  that  more  than  one-third  of 
the  rural  population  of  the  South  is  infected. 

PREVALENCE  IN  NORTH  CAROLINA. 

Two  thirds  or  more  of  the  physicians  of  the  State  have  studied  the 
disease,  and  are  generally  in  accord  in  the  opinion  that  one-third  of  the 
rural  population  suffers  from  hookworm  disease.     At  this  stage  of  our 


14 


investigation  of  the  disease  in  North  Carolina  we  are  prepared  to  say 
that  it  is  prevalent  in  every  county  in  the  State. 

The  investigations  made  thus  far  in  North  Carolina  suffice  to  prove 
that  no  section  of  the  State  has  escaped  the  ravages  of  the  disease. 

COUNTY  INFECTION  SURVEYS. 

Infection  surveys  have  been  completed  in  thirty-five  counties,  and 
partially  completed  in  many  ethers,  each  of  which  is  based  on  the 
microscopic  examination  of  a  minimum  of  two  hundred  rural  children, 
ages  six  and  eighteen  years  inclusive.  The  results  of  the  complete 
surveys  are  as  follows: 


County. 

No. 

No. 

Percentage. 

Examined. 

Infected. 

of  Infection. 

Beaufort ...   .   

423 

280 

66 

Bertie .   ...  ..   ...   ..   

1539 

743 

48 

Bladen __   .   .   

257 

121 

50 

Burke __   _   _   . _-   .. 

426    ' 

252 

59 

Caldwell 

337 

214 

63 

Carteret __   -   -   .. 

1333 

860 

64 

544 
263 

220 
232 

40 

Columbus -   

68 

Craven ...     _     .   _. 

1509 

828 

54 

Cumberland- _   - 

1537 

775 

50 

225 
237 

39 
175 

17 

Duplin ___   __ _-   — 

73 

Edgecombe .   

1149 

421 

38 

Gates _ -.     - 

889 

318 

35 

Greene ..       ..   . ... 

544 

270 

49 

Harnett ...   ...   

763 

362 

47 

Hertford... 

389 

122 

31 

Johnston 

394 

138 

35 

Martin _       .   

1176 

542 

47 

McDowell 

287 

306 

71 

Mitchell 

210 

110 

52 

Montgomery  .      - 

248 

52 

20 

Nash 

1448 

731 

50 

268 
612 

147 
430 

51 

Pender __            .  .   

69 

Pitt 

412 

278 

67 

Randolph _   _   _  . 

254 

45 

17 

Robeson _     _._  ._   _   _.  

1411 

722 

51 

Rowan...        .               

246 

50 

20 

Sampson .     ___   _   _._  

859 

68S 

80 

Wake 

1115 

534 

47 

Warren. _   ______     ._ 

399 

163 

40 

Wayne _.   _     _   _   _.   .. 

1943 

1053 

54 

Wilson...  _ _   

717 

478 

67 

Yancev...   ... 

557 

175 

31 

24,920 

12,784 

51% 

15 


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ben  ma)  covered 
ifb  fr"r  mesh  wire. 


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ral  b  ^fe  rnatebed 
^oards  or  square  edo^g- 
boarda  with  battent) 
over  /omto 


ohioailes  or  r. 


ial 


^qt 


*$<h 


Figure  11.  This  shows  a  sanitary  privy,  designed  to  prevent  the  spread  of  disease.  If  a 
privy  of  this  type  were  built  on  every  farm  and  in  every  yard  in  villages,  and  if  this  privy 
were  used  by  all  persons,  typhoid  fever,  hookworm  disease,  and  various  other  maladies 
would  almost  or  entirely  disappear. 


ECONOMIC    IMPORTANCE   OF   HOOKWORM   DISEASE. 

It  is  impossible  to  accurately  estimate  the  economic  importance  of 
hookworm  disease.  We  do  not  know  the  number  and  can  not  estimate 
the  value  of  the  lives  that,  either  directly  from  the  disease  or  indi- 
rectly from  some  intercurrent  disease  invited  by  it,  have  filled  acres 
of  graves  that  should  have  remained  undug  for  many  years.  We  can 
not  estimate  the  value  of  the  suffering,  poor  health,  incapacitation  for 
mental  or  physical  work,  and  other  bodily  detractions  caused  by  the 
disease.  We  do  not  know  which  graves  are  occupied  by  great  intellect- 
ual and  financial  giants  who,  undeveloped,  were  called  away  by  the  pre- 
ventable and  curable  disease. 

We  do  know  that  in  proportion  to  the  severity  of  the  disease  the 
power  of  the  blood  to  collect  oxygen  in  the  lungs  and  food  from  the 


16 

digestive  tract  and  convey  this  nourishment  to  the  bony,  muscular,  and 
nervous  tissue  is  correspondingly  reduced.  In  a  series  of  more  than 
five  hundred  cases  of  hookworm  disease  tested  in  this  connection,  the 
quality  of  the  blood  was  found  to  range  from  9  to  65  per  cent  of  normal, 
the  average  being  less  than  50  per  cent.  When  it  is  reduced  to  10  per 
cent  of  normal,  or  less,  the  body  starves  to  death.  At  75  per  cent  the 
body  and  mind  are,  on  account  of  lack  of  nourishment,  incapacitated  at 
least  25  per  cent. 

Suppose  we  stay  well  within  conservative  bounds  and  estimate  that 
only  one-fourth  of  the  North  Carolinians  have  the  disease,  and  that 
they  have  the  disease  but  mildly,  on  the  average  the  qualities  of  the 
blood  being  reduced  only  25  per  cent.  Expressed  in  other  words,  it 
means  that  in  a  conservative  estimate  one-fourth  of  our  people  are  one- 
fourth  incapacitated  by  the  disease. 

"What,  then,  is  the  immense  annual  loss,  in  dollars,  to  the  State,  aside 
from  any  humanitarian  considerations?  Time  and  space  will  not  per- 
mit a  consideration  of  the  vast  loss  to  the  State  occasioned  along  many 
lines.  Just  one  specific  illustration  will  be  given:  In  the  State  public 
schools  alone,  not  including  colleges,  more  than  $3,000,000  is  annu- 
ally spent.  A  per  capita  division  of  this  sum,  according  to  our  estimate, 
indicates  that  one-fourth  of  the  total,  or  $750,000,  is  spent  on  sufferers 
from  hookworm  disease,  who  are  incapacitated  to  a  degree  that  they 
can  only  assimilate  75  per  cent  of  the  learning  they  would  have  received 
had  they  not  been  infected.  One-fourth  of  the  money  thus  spent  on 
them,  or  $187,500,  is  annually  lost  to  the  State  as  a  result  of  the  dis- 
ease. Think  of  an  annual  loss  of  $187,500  from  the  school  appropria- 
tion alone  by  virtue  of  the  existence  of  a  disease  which  is  both  pre- 
ventable and  curable.  Will  the  State  stand  by  and  permit  such  loss  to 
continue  and  not  spend  more  toward  its  eradication? 


STATE  LIBRARY  OF  NORTH  CAROLINA 


3  3091  00747  7565 


PAMPHLET  BINDER 

ZZ^Z    Syracuse,  N.   Y. 
— -    Siockton,  Calif. 


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ttZ 


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