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Show PITH RICO Wonderful Results Ob-1 tained in Cure of j the Disease New York, Dec. 27. Mayor Bailey J. Ashford. who since 1908. has been in charge of the marine hospital at San Juan, Porto Rico, and whose fight against the hookworm disease brought hlui national note, is in New York for a brief vacation. "Porto Rico has checked the hookworm hook-worm ravages," he reported on arrival, arri-val, "and the big reduction In death rate seems to Indicate that the disease will soon be robbed of all terrors. "Gov. Hunt recommended the pas-sago pas-sago of a bill appropriating $5,000 for the treatment of the disease. A commission com-mission was appointed and the fight really began. At first. It had only a handful of friends. Now wc have our hospitals organized, the disease Is recognized rec-ognized and the measures we have prepared have prevented Innumerable deaths. But when w declared at 6rst that' tho manifestation of hunger was duo to a parasite, the press was Incredulous In-credulous and it wan, tho aufferora themselves who gave us a chance to prove our case. Thoy -were so utterly miserable that they eagerly accepted every promise to help them we made. "Since 1904, there bavo been 300.000 cases of hookworm on the island. Tho coffee districts appear to be the most afflicted.'1 |