Salt Lake Telegram | 1931-06-06 | Page 13 | Daily Health "Service"

Daily a l. l Health Service SE C M B By DR MORRIS FISHBEIN Edior Editor Journal of the tile American Mcd- Mcd ical lal Association and of Hygeia the Health Magazine It I Is generally believed that malaria malaia 7 was wa responsible for the fall taU of or the civilization of Gr Greece ece and Rome Ic It IcIs ItIs Is thought also al that malaria hs ha been beca r responsible for the destruction of ot modern moer communities and that it has controlled the victor in various wars Scientific medicine knows kows everything everything every every- thing necessary to overcome malaria provided that people in i general will wi help and ad that funds will wl be avaU available ble for applying the information that is 1 established Practically no large city in the United States is 1 disturbed by this problem but the suburbs of cities cUes and many small smal rural communities still have difficulty in i combating this disease dIeas thi According to figures recently cited t figr by Dr J. J A. A Ferrell Ferel of the Rockefeller foundation the death rate from malana malara malaria ma- ma lana laria lara for the registration area of or the United States Stats was 22 2 in I 1910 17 17 in lit 1928 1915 34 in i 1920 20 in 1925 1025 36 in i In contrast with wih these thes figures the rates for Alabama Florida Florda Louisiana Mississippi Missouri Misouri North Luisiana Carolina South Carolina Carolia Tennessee and Texas Tex were in 1918 i in i 1920 83 in Itt 1925 in i 1928 and 98 in 1929 Obviously the te problem as it affects the United States Stats today toy is i largely a problem of the southern states sutern a stats Dr Br Ferrell Ferel in his hs analysis of or the situation points pmt out that tat there was wa general interest in malaria and alid in lii measures for Its It control during th the year five ve- ve car period previous to t 1920 and that as a a result death i rates fell feU rapIdly rapidly rap- rap Idy Idly and much was accomplished J However In i 1922 1022 extra wa state agencies agences transferred their help to t county health or organizations and the rates since that time have llave not been In the thc least leat spectacular i Dr Ferrell Ferel feels feel that tat the factors involved in i the general genera recession of or malaIa malaria have not not been convincingly evaluated The extension of ot drainage drainage drain- drain draina a age and seems to have helped but the Influence of t rainfall during the h b breeding re edIng season ason of this io i ean mosquito that transmits the disease c dsa seems to be bc the most important t mot single single sin sin- gle factor It is I quite likely that the quit great drouth douth of or 1930 may be responsible b ble for the th general downward ward trend tren 1 but this thi Is i not certain as economic Exactly distress Is asan as- as a- a with an increase crease in all those wih al of ot thoe diseases that are associated with poor pr nutrition and bad housing bad housing an a increase in malaria malaIa Is b deli deli- def def- associated with lh the conditIons that with th I wIt or of malarIa prevention In times Ures when natural causes do not favor favor recessions of the cause disease I health aith cease forces must foce redouble their ac- ac Knowledge Is available to Control Control diphtheria completely but t the dL disease ae Is 1 still sUU with wih us Knowledge Knowledge Knowledge Know- Know ledge is also available for the al te complete com corn control of malaria maaria but it re remain remains re- re mains main for an a educated public to ap apply ap- ap Dp- Dp ply that knowledge and anti to t make available sufficient funds for health departments to carry crr out the necessary sary sar precession loD