The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene - Volume s1-5, Issue 3, May 1925

In 1917 the United States Congress passed the Jones Act giving a large measure of self-government to the people of Porto Rico, in addition to making them citizens of the United States. This Act, in outlining the machinery of the local government, created a Department of Health whose Commissioner, appointed by the Governor, was placed on a parity with the heads of the other Departments, and given a place in the Executive Council, or Governor's “Cabinet.” Since that time the Department of Health has made remarkable forward strides.

Before 1917, the Division of Sanitation and Charities had been a minor, although efficient, branch of the government. Its change to a major branch shows the increasing importance being placed upon the question of the public health in Porto Rico.

Public health work may be said to have begun in 1918, when the Department of Health determined to initiate a systematic campaign against uncinariasis, then as now the most important and pressing problem confronting it.

historical résumé At the time of the discovery of Brazil, there was no leprosy among the indigenous tribes. This terrible disease was imported through European colonists and African slaves, and was frequently noticed at the beginning of the eighteenth century.

The colonial government, represented by the Vice-Roy Count Da Cunha, assisted the foundation of the “Hospital dos Lazaros,” Rio de Janeiro, which today is under the direction of the Catholic association “Irmandade da Candelaria,” and has rendered great service to the country. Since that time prophylactic measures have been taken against the possible increase in leprosy in the State of Bahia, with very good results.

At the beginning of the nineteenth century the State of Pará followed the example of Bahia and founded the Leper Asylum of Tocunduba, and in 1838 Baron of Cassapava, General Soares de André, Governor of the Province of Pará, sanctioned an act of regulations for the prevention of leprosy.

The comparatively high efficacy of chloroform (CHCl3) against hookworms, as administered in castor oil by Alessandrini and as used in Hermann's mixtures by others in clinical experience, was confirmed in critical tests on dogs by Hall and Foster. With this clue to the efficacy of chlorine derivatives, Hall tested the closely related compound, carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) and found an increased efficacy, apparently associated with the higher chlorine content, a possibility hinted at by Caius and Mhaskar in a paper published simultaneously with Hall's first paper. In the past three years of its use in medicine carbon tetrachloride has come into increasing vogue in the treatment of human hookworm disease, and recent papers by Bais and by Giglioli give impressive evidence of its superiority to other drugs and to its economic value.

Data are presented resulting from examinations of stools from natives at Tela, Honduras, Port Limon, Costa Rica, and Santa Marta, Colombia. The incidence of infection with Trichomonas hominis was 20.6 per cent, with Chilomastix mesnili, 7.7 per cent, and with Giardia lamblia, 2.1 per cent.

The high incidence of infection with Trichomonas and Chilomastix may be accounted for (1) by the high temperature and moist climate that exists in Tropical America and are favorable for the transmission of these flagellates, (2) by the unsanitary habits of the natives which also favor transmission, and (3) by the character of the diet of the general population which is largely vegetable. In previous publications the writer has shown that these flagellates grow and multiply rapidly in hosts that live on a vegetable diet and are largely eliminated from hosts that live on a meat diet.

A comparison of the original results recorded in this paper with those published during the World War; and those reported by Jepps (1923) from the Federated Malay States and Boeck and Stiles (1923) from the United States indicates that there is a definite relation among human beings between a meat diet and the incidence of infection with these flagellates, especially with Trichomonas hominis.

Seventeen out of 26 normal adult cattle were found by cultural tests to be harboring Trypanosoma americanum, a nonpathogenic trypanosome. The serums of these animals when subjected to the complement-fixation test for trypanosomiasis all gave negative results to the test.

From the preceding work it can be concluded that cattle harboring a non-pathogenic trypanosome do not produce antibodies detectable by complement fixation for a pathogenic trypanosome.

introduction Chiggers, vertebrate infesting larvae of the mite family Trombidiidae, have recently assumed much importance in medical entomology because of their demonstrated ability to transmit a fatal disease, river fever, to man and their probable relation to the transmission of pseudotyphus. Both of these diseases occur in eastern Asia, and they are very similar in their nature and symptoms.

In America our knowledge of the Trombidiidae is rather limited, particularly our knowledge of the larvae and the life histories of the different species. The most comprehensive paper which we have on them is by C. W. Howard (Howard, 1918) which deals with species occurring in Minnesota. Many years ago C. V. Riley studied the Trombidiidae, to a large extent incidentally, it appears. Yet he described as new two larvae which were reported as attacking man. More recently Chittenden (Chittenden, 1915) made various observations on chiggers and paid some attention to their control.

On account of limitations of space and pressure of manuscripts, it has been found necessary to omit formal book reviews for the present. Books and pamphlets on tropical medicine are much desired by the Society, however, and when received by the Journal, titles will be published and the works will be deposited in the Archives of the American Society of Tropical Medicine at the Army Medical Library, unless the publishers or authors request their return.—The Editor.

Memoranda on Medical Diseases in Tropical and Sub-Tropical Areas. (4th edition.) 1924. Brevet Lieut.-Col. W. P. MacArthur, Royal Army Medical Corps, R. A. M. College. His Majesty's Stationery Office.

Lectures on Pathology. Ludwig Aschoff, M.D. Paul B. Hoeber, Inc.

Treatise on Hygiene and Health. B. N. Ghosh. Hilton & Company.

War Against Tropical Disease. Andrew Balfour, C.B., C.M.G. Bailliere, Tindall & Cox.

Reports and Notes of the Public Health Laboratories, Cairo. (Ankylostomiasis and Bilharziasis in Egypt.) Government Press, Cairo.

The American Society of Tropical Medicine has been allotted space in the Army Medical Library in Washington for its archives. It is planned to keep there a complete set of the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and various monographs and reprints presented the Society.

From the Proceedings, there is missing Volume 2 for 1906 and Volume 4 for 1909. If any member has these volumes and is willing to contribute them to the Society, please communicate with the Secretary.