Evening Star Newspaper, May 7, 1925, Page 11

PORTO RICO HEALTH VASTLY IMIPROVED Discovery of Hookworm Leads to Gradual Corgquer- ing of Sickness Causes. BY GIDEON A, LYON. VII is going to be the least pleas- f the presegt series of articles | Porto Rico and its progress | inder the American flag. For it is to | leal frankly with conditions and facts of a disagreeable nature, but of the vital Importance to any com et it is necessary as part of the whole story and, moreover, it is] 1y encouraging and reassuring. | d e actual political warfare in Porto | Rico in 1898 was very brief. It was,| indeed, little more than a formality.,| om the beginning of the new | 1other warfare was | being waged, and conducted continuously and 1 indefinite time. But ives, it saves them. | Instead of crippling people, it restores | them. For it is the war against dis i nitation, against mal- the ignorance that degeneracy. i military gov- shed at San Juan ! s of the Army ob ng people of the | selow par, weak, imambitious—in fact, suffering widely prevalent sickness. disclosed that this condition, known to the Spanish au- 1 by a broad and in | “anemia.” quanti of nostrums 1 by the people. A flood | Allons of patent bloo®| flowed into the draining the pgckets a giving them o re. | teplorable condition 1n evasive tith only Vecause nobody knew better. Nobody knew 1ct what “ailed” the jibaro and The medical officers Army accepted | ring term, but not they con- ymptom, and which fs the This most munity vigorously instead of taking consume Lousands of T8 8 annually, ibaros lief from the Anemia the emia defini cluded, was they sought course of Ameri, a1 as a ue scie Root of Ailment Discovered. THE PORTO RICO’S HEALTH WORK rance, of equally patient dealing with the long estublished customs and hab its of an unenlightened people, of skillful treatment. Chiefly Affects Hill People. Before 1 leave the hookworm and its discoverer I should explain that this fell to the lot of American | doctor ] Ashford—a | f Wasl by the way—to | He' discovered that | dlment from which | an disease prevails almost exclusively in the rural districts; that it is especially prevale the coffee pickers of | the hill: at in the days of its un checked prevalence the working pow {er of .these people was cut down at | ca | tion. been | of still | the living habits of the people have in- | the marsh lands where the mosquito |ing to c | more Upper: A typical new hospital, | Mayaguez. Lower: Design for portal of the new Psychiatric Hospital, Rio Piedras. by the insular government. One is the establishment of a large sanitorium at | Rio Piedras, near the capital, with a preventorium annex where incipient ses are treated, and the other is | the location throughout the island of | 1ocal clinies for examination and early treatment Preventive Sanitation Taught. Progress is being made. The peopleY e being taught preventive sanita The clinics, nine of which set up in San Juan withina with others elsewhere schools of prevention. who attend them are taught th nature of the disease and the means of its communication. They are learning these lessons. If it becomes necessary to send them to the pre ventorfum or the sanitorium they go willingly, for they understand that they will be given the best of treat- ment and will have the best chance for recove And already there have | been many “arrested” cures and the | hope of the insular authorities is within a decade tuberculosis will have tien ire nation was suffer- Hpm one-half, and thus the prosperity | > presence within the in- | testin rasitic worm | which ted a pe the en th which thus doubly depleted pped the vitality of the mandibles with attached itself to the | was called the “hook- | ame it is known world ise of the debill ple was ascertained | splied to rid the pa- tes. alts and 1o he effective for rebuild the de- how was the in- Until that question | answered no real progress wde toward eradication hat Dr. Ashford deter- | wus circle of infection | a discovety compar- | able in impor to the physic and economic e of humant with that of covery of the be Ing of and malaria mosquitoes It was found from patients this worm tation remedies tients of thymol w this p; pleted s fecti could conld be n It mined that was in pr ance th: the dis ontained the eggs of | the parasite and that these egss quick- | 1y hatched in the soil and became tiny | larvae, which, upon contact with the | skin of a human being, entered the body through the pores of the Iym- phatic system and so found lodgment in the intestinal tract, there to develop and to ¥ and take | toll of bi poison and to discharge e; us continue the devastatin of reinfection. Thus the assumed a dual form-—to cure the sick and to prevent further infection. It was not hard to| get the people to sul to curative treatment. as a few of the| more influential members of the great jibaro family were restored to health by the syster { salts and thymol others until fa- cilities for treating e$ were overta harges | d t procedur problem the Habits to Be Changed. But it her thing to per- suade the people fhat their promiscu; t be changed that to prevent in- lute il the bare | 1 ose lessons, two decades ago, fection from : feet must be cove started than are still in progress The technical name of “hookworm disease” is “uncinariasis.” It i a formidable ti in appearance. The people, however, have come to know it perfect] ware that bad physical ha’ and lack of shoes lead to “anemia” and they are strug- gling to overcome these deficiencies. In the course of my visit to Porto Rico 1 spent & with Dr. Ash- ford in his laboratory of the School of Tropical Medicine, in the “Pink Pal-| ace,” as the former residence of the | lieutenant governor in the old Spanish | Atfended by a group assistants, all young Porto 15 of the highest intelligence and | scientific research, hoi prue is now en- | iion 4§ a menace to er some time, with the dis- ted by the exhibition of des, I remarked: Ashford, it strikes me that you ver much interested in un. SACH e i bug that causes it." “No, was h ly, “I am not con- cerned now in that I want to solve the sprue problem if 1 can. Uncina- riasis is now simply a matter of ad- ministration. The disease can be swept out of Porto Rico. is being swept out. The insular health departmei is doing wonderfully effective work. So that is the story of the hookworm to date. I have told it very briefl and mot as vividly and dramatically, perhaps, s its epic character requires, | he whole tale is a much greater one, a_ tale of patient ur(ex(nL in_igno- A EDUCATIO! | LANGUAG e iy v are a mo: ictive talk on ‘s se which zaging health. course illus microscopic “Dr are not cinar All modern langu taught by native Conversational Method. Day | Iiee 'Trial Lesson. | \(H(NIL oF | BERLIT? Cacks 816 14th St. N.W. el. Fr. 2620 TR RS T i, Strayer College : “Trains Young People for the Profession of Basiness” New Classes Now Forming Free Bookiet om Requeat 721 13th St g ) Dupont, Girele: ter, the ohildren; | PIANO, SAXOPHONE, BANJO | . Jazz, Popular Music in 20 lesson: lessons’ 1f You buy _inetruments Her Send for fres booklét. Christensen Schoo 2 =75, Zasy term. | wor { the tide of Porto Rico was portion. The su tobacco workers. of agricultural time affected, and their labor v too, were reduced. Porto Rico lost countless millions of dollars lessened in workers and the —in all laborers-—became in in | lues, | has | depleted labor power from the hook-| 'm. And so the conquest of this| disease means countless millions of | value to the island. The man who today is conducting | the administrative fight against un cinariasis, as well as other diseases in Porto Rico, and is at the same time administerin n nitary worl Dr. Ortiz, the co ioner of th. To mention him second to Dr. Ash: ford is rely in consequence of the chronology of their works. For Dr. @rtiz is s Porto Rico today with the highest otion and the g skill and is working marvels to cure the island of its ills. It would that tively small like Porto Rico, in a compara with tinted fresh A compact community | | air and the possibility of perfect drain- | age over the greater part of the area, disease should not prev But s Porto Rico.is suffy ilis of the past, ills t the main to the universal ignos not contined to any region or any or nation--regarding the natu cause and transmission of diseases. Tuberculosis is surprisingly preva- and today's main fight by the insular autho ainst this in sidious enemy. cital of facts that must be told with out going into gruesome figures. But 1 can say th the tuberculosis rate of 1 turned portant works PLEASE LEAVE THE &ocwoon prev Thi u to two ng from the | it were due ih | m not going to give | pro- | classes | ALTIMORE has gone wild over a_wonderful new- treatment for the skin® Perfected but by a Baitimore fame has spread throughout all Baitimore, Washington, Phila phia and many other cities of the East and South. Last year § jars were used. s this marvelous discov- \ave Baltimore women given up their favorite cold creams and vanishing creams for it? Why do skin sufferers prefer it to all the famous s of the past? Why 1s 1t used every member ‘hundreds of thousands of tamili The discoverer, George ing, AM., Ph.G., gives us swer: "I must confess that its discovery was somewhat of an cident,” he says. *T first prepared this. new formula merely as an aid in healing sunburn. But when doc- tors began to recommend it for eczema, skin eruptions and baby a short time ago Pharmacist, its the an- EVENING | were available. They sleep, as a rule, [ velops in the island, but is immediate. | fi Practically Every Family in Baltimore Uses This Amazing Skin Treatment! 870,000 Jars Used in and Around That City Last Year! Write for Large Demonstration Jar—FREE STAR, WASHI been brought under control and made] to cause a much smaller annual mor- talit. Ma that strength people. arfa is another of the diseases has been for years sapping the and taking tne lives of the For there are. sufficient areas aters to breed mosquitoes and Now the’ forces under to drain vited infection Dr. Ort re working first are developed and to bring the use of mosquito bars over g peopt E strikingly similar to the hookworm problem, an infected soil,.so to speak, and a settied habit combin: cyclic infection. Most of the peasant people, live fiimsy huts, which can even if the means larvae about the in not Jibaros, thatched be screened, in hammoc the screening of which |is dificult. So_the task of the sani- | tarian, who is fighting the jibaro’s bat- tle for him is rendered difficult by his own situation. In the coustal towns malaria is much prevalent than in the hills, here the mosquito does not thrive. he draining of the still waters where | the lurvae breed is difficult in many | Lut persistent work is being and confident hope i felt that bis’ direction also marked gains will soon be made Venereal diseases are being fought through the clinics and in other w: yphoid fever occasionally 8, de- ced Ked. plague, attacked, its cause tr and and the spread che In the same way bubonic spread by infected rats, is mitted to find lodgment, bei constantly under way the germ bearers and every case be- ing |nr\|n|rll\‘ isolated. During the al year 1924 not single death rred from th cause. The Rockefeller Foundation has | dane 1 for the betterment of Porto Rico's health. It has been for a long ly cured, against Get Your Fruit at _ORIDA AND CALIFORNIA ORANGE GROVE 1316 N. Y.*Ave. N.W. Strawberries, at., 18¢ Orunges by the basket Grapefrulf. basket Tomatoes Bananas. doz. rapefruit by the b ser ‘Shell P Drive Sour auto here and gei barguins. rash finest powder used— n even r can ¢ discov chance. when women greaseless it was the ream and base that had ever hen men praised it highly after-shaving delight—I was e surprised than they. [ ; that, like other great it was the work of ¢ this marvelous healing cream, known as Nox- . is being introduced in every city in the F It is on sale by all good druggis I FREE Demo you can see for yourself how won- derful Noxzema really is, and why more than a million men and en today have given up cold creams, ointments and salves for its exclusive us large Demon- on Jar will be sent absolutely to all who write for it. clip this article Now and . together with 10c to cover postage, etc, to The Noxzema Chemical Co., Dept. 1851, Balti- more, Md. ¥ GTON, D, @ MAY 1925. Jog THURSDAY, 11 T ter of education and research in tropi- cal medicine in the world. It s ideally located in Porto Rico, which is itself the scene of certain prevalences of dis- ease of this type, and is neighbored by islands wheré others are prevalent. Tt is possible that arrangements may be made whereby association will be es- tablished between the FPorto Rico school and the projected and progress ing Gorgas Memorial Institution at | today mear the town of Coamo. For to that spring of hot sulphur water they were wont to take their sick, who were greatly helped by the waters After Ponce started search for the fabled fountain of youth the Spanish settlers found | Coamo, arwl for centuries it has been a resort. fior those suffering.from a m’n’f'fmfir ;‘(f“;:“’"‘l’:- “'h'l':‘;l;:‘e“‘,““‘: | Panama, to avoid duplication of work | lovely valley. The baths are solidly [And to ‘insure effective co-operation. | bullt, with great tubs of marble, said | The problem of the %"‘:::5‘:‘:‘:‘:“% to have been quarried on the island. | 410¢ the GUTe ¢ ieal wedAons in one The water is pleasently hot and is |Prevaii in the tropical re vited) not malodorous, as are many “spu” |ih Which the United States fa viteiy S e y interested, for the protection of its waters. A quaint hotel, bullt about a | Interesied, for the profection T ot century ago, still attracts many tour- | i H care of its insular possessions. ists and suffierers from maladies for | supplies and more per- which- hot mineral baths are pre.| Letter water supj tire government 30 vears ago. 1t from ‘Porto Rico that, Ponce | "7ioed: rom Porto Rico tha e e ‘ : de Leon set forth on his quest for |, At San Juap is located the Schiool of the fountaln of youth, the SPHing of | {yniversity of Porto Rico, under the e. He had been told by Indlans ot Portc 0, : that such a spring was to be rouna*;g“lg“j; ,,",’,,',"‘J, ;‘j'flgndhm“‘ :{1;;?";’; Sfiawliere jtothesuely ‘°“""An§"°||m Pink Palase. A new home is being seiting aun. - Porte, Rican traditlon |, ¢creq oir tie carraters, adjoining the hus it that the Indlans were decelv- [€rected on the carratera, adjoining the ing the healihsoeking governor and | nON epILel It I8 the aim ang the ex sending him astray, and that the 2 « fourgain of youth wiis actually on the | Will_become the most important cen- tsland, to the south of the capital, across the great divide. It may well be that they referred to but did not guide Ponce toward a certain healing spring that flows even time contributing to the campaign against the hookworm and is keeping pace with the insular government in the provision of funds for the prosecu- tion of the war. The Legislature hav- ing doubled the annual anti-hook- worm appropriation, the foundation likewise doubled its own appropria- tion for this purpose. Health and sanitation ave being taught in the public schools. The children are made missionaries for the improvement of home conditions. By charts and easily understood dia- grams they are given the funda- mentals of physiology, with these les sons conducted whelly in Spanish, to ensure the most perfect understand- ing.. Thus the youngsters of today know more about the nature and cause of “anemia” than did the en on his long at $10 and up gle or double ped- estal. flat top, roll top or type- writer, styles. Also new desks at less than one-half usual price. PLR\ITL‘RE DEPT. Washington Nalyage Co. 10 8th St. N.W. Flowers for Mother’s Day { Nothing else can express the love and veneration you hold in your heart for Mother, quite so effectively as a remembrance of Black- istone’s Flowers. For dessert lonight | | i | i | | | | i | | ¢ Cut Flowers and Bloom- ing Plants of her favorite variety at Reasonable Prices. ROSES, $2 doz. vp Flowers sent to all points by Parcel Post, Express and by Telegraph. Blooming Plants, §2 and up. The > Velvet Kind ICE CREAM 14th and Tel. Main 3707 Banking and Savings Departments A Complete of Service Ill"C]C Trust Department Real Estate Department at 'lxlu‘ MERICAN SECURIT — ° AND TRUST_ COMPANY - 15th & Penna. Ave. Capital, Surplus and Undivided Profiits Ozver $6,000,000 BRANCHES Central—7th and Northeast—8th and H N Southwest—7th and E S.W. Northwest—1140 15th St. Total Resources Over $35,000,000 Mass. Foreign Exchange Department Safe Deposit Department Five Convenient Banking Offices "Fhe Two Poshins Mg Gficr Byudreds of i 2-Pants Suits Specially Priced —and we don’t mean maybe Opinion is one thing—and special prices another. We've taken these splendid suits and priced them specially. The new Ii plain blues. ght-shadess The staple, things—including smart The new models—gay and sedate. Trousers, wide or narrow, as you like them.. Hundreds of mean maybe! “them—wonderful values—and we don't That'll be the talk of the town. Downtown Thompson's FRED PELZM AN, President 24 Next to Keith’s i Remember Next September—the Home of the' WORUMBO OVERCOAT New Popular Victor Records out tomorrow Who (from “Music Box Revue’) Tokio Blues (from “Music Box Revue”) Victor Record No. 19631. List price 75 cents Florida—Fox Trot cocal refrain ~ Internatiosal Nevelty Orchestra Me Neenyah—Fox Trot oy Litte b5e) International Novelty Orchestra Victor Record No, 19‘32- List price 75 cents Those Panama Mamas—FoxTrot: George Otsen and His Music Oh That Sweet in Suite 16— Fox Trot Charles Dornberger and His Orchestra Victor Record No. 18633. List price 25 cents The Love Song You Will Forget—Waltz The Troubadours ‘Take Me Back to. Your Heart—Waltz - with vocal refrain Dan Gregory’s Orchestra Victor Record No. 19634. List price 75 cents The Brox Sisters The Brox Sisters ‘There is but one Victrola and that is made by the Victee Compeany firfi-\fh-fl.bh Victro fect grainage systems are being sought and provided as rapidly as funds avallable. With a total insular budgdr of only $12,000,000 annually, with urgent needs for schools and #rriga tion works and roads and bridg public buildings, and espec the fight against disease. the d ment of health and sanitation doe get as_much money None of the departme it is. But wha expending - effectively. Th of pure water in a a matter of going to the ing-down to the tow: the sinking of arte od CREERON 614 Twelfth Street Around the Corner From High Prices Between F and G Express Your Individuality by select ets each Is provisiap e is simpls hills and pij- d villages, fan wells near (Contir Sts. 'g a becoming Untrimmed Hat and Flower or Ribbon Trim- ming from our complete stocks—and werwill trim it to your individual taste, FREE OF CHARGE. - Thus you will secure a Hat ex- actl suited to your par- ticular type, at ‘a worth- while saving® Hair Dress Hat Rose Spray.... Taffeta Lining. $5.95 - Swiss Hair Hat Ribbon Rosette. Silk Lining. . TOTAL $5.49 Tagal Body Hat $3. 95 2 Flower ray: Silk Lining.. TOTAL S7.16 Fine 'ermlify' Hair Hats Largest variety in thec All styles and col choose from. $3.49, $5.95 to $13.95 New Summer Flowers Including large roses, flowets, poppies, heather, 59¢c, 98¢ to $2.98 Hats Trimmed Free . Hats trimmed free when all materials are purchased 4 here. ity to Summer Felts $4.50 to $5.95 Small brims to the larger brims —crease crowns, round crowns— to meet the demand of the miss and younger women for. sports wear. White and Colors Gage Hats Reduced to $2.98 and $3.95 Formerly $5 to $6.95 Best styles and colors | of the season to.select | from. ‘CREERON: 614 12th St. N. W.