HOOKWORM DISEASE, a disease known in many countries and under many names, but ankylostomiasis and un cinariasis are the chief in the medical vocabulary, while popular terms are miner's anmia and dirt-eating. The malady has its origin in an intestinal worm with dorsal and ventral teeth, with which it holds to the small intes tine usually, though it is found in dif ferent parts of the alimentary canal. The eggs are ejected with the fces, and as infectious larva are communicable through the skin or mouth.
The disease is prevalent in tropical latitudes chiefly contained within 33 de grees N. and 33 degrees S. of the Equa tor. The American variety of the disease differs from that prevalent in Europe, Asia, and Africa, in the symptoms as well as in the parasite which causes it, but in both the Old World and the New it is found in all degrees of virulence. The geographical distribution of hook worm in the 'United States is confined to the Southern States and is heaviest in Virginia, North and South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, and Mis sissippi. In four years the Rockefeller Sanitary Commission for the Eradica tion of Hookworm Disease has treat ed 539,107 cases in the Southern St ates.
In the Old World the prevalence of the disease under favoring conditions may be judged by the degree of infection. Thus in Samoa 70 per cent. of the population is infected; in south China 75 per cent.;
in India 60 to 80 per cent.; and in Ceylon, 90 per cent. In all these cases there is perceptible both a physical and mental deterioration, usually proportion ate to the duration of the malady, its prevalence in childhood resulting in stunted growth and feeblemindedness which are permanent.
In serious cases the body becomes emaciated, the muscles shrink and re lax, there is abdominal protuberance, the skin becomes yellow or colorless, with swelling of the hands and feet. Often peculiar appetites are developed, and the patient has been known to eat rags piece by piece, strings, charcoal, resin, sand, clay, wood and chalk. In less serious cases there is a longing for articles of bitter or insipid taste, such as lemons, tomatoes, salt and the like. The disease in mild cases may be lifelong and almost imperceptible. In serious cases death supervenes after weeks or months. The treatment of the malady consists in the removal of the parasite, and drugs such as beta-naphthol and thymol, accompanied with purging medi cine, have given satisfactory results.
(Celtis erassifoliti), an American tree of the order Urtiecteew, found in the forests of Ohio and in the Western States. It attains a height of 80 feet, and is employed for charcoal.