23,1 Leach et al.: Hookworm Disease m 



in its efforts to obtain an education. How many thousand other 

 Filipino children are similarly handicapped we cannot, of course, 

 say at the present time. There is nothing in the picture pre- 

 sented by this particular child that is not perfectly familiar to 

 those acquainted with hookworm disease in children; but it is 

 a sad commentary on the indifference and misconception that 

 has led to an almost total neglect of hookworm infections as a 

 factor in the health, education, and economic welfare of the 

 people of the Philippine Islands. 



All these patients received treatment with carbon tetrachlo- 

 ride on the basis of 1 cubic centimeter of the drug to each 5.5 

 kilograms of body weight. Aside from slight dizziness and 

 drowsiness, none of them exhibited the slightest untoward effects 

 from the treatment. A hyper-secretion of mucus in the intes- 

 tinal tract, persisting for a number of hours after the treatment, 

 was noted in nearly every case; that will be discussed below. 

 The actual amount of drug administered to each patient is given 

 in the individual protocols. No delayed untoward effects from 

 the drug were observed when all were inspected by one of us 

 (F.G.H.) five days after treatment. At that time several of 

 the patients were allowed to return to their homes. Case 4 

 was retained in the hospital, because of the advanced stage of 

 her tuberculosis, but her condition was not noticeably modified 

 by the treatment. Others also were detained in order that iron 

 and arsenic might be administered under supervision, for the 

 correction of their extreme anaemia. 



Because the time was short, it was found necessary to pro- 

 ceed immediately with treatment, without a preliminary fast. 

 Accordingly, a purge of magnesium sulphate was administered 

 to each patient, the carbon tetrachloride being given as soon 

 as the bowels moved. We believe this to have been a mistake, 

 because the bowel movements following treatment consisted al- 

 most entirely, in nearly every case, of a large volume of muous 

 which we consider to have been the expression of a rather high 

 degree of intestinal irritation, resulting from the combined action 

 of the salts and the carbon tetrachloride. 



PROTOCOLS OF CASES 



Nemesio Unabia, male, aged 22 years; residence, Carcar, Cebu; occupa- 

 on, laborer; weight, 38.5 kilograms. 

 This patient had been previously treated for hookworm. 

 Narcotics. — Alcohol and tobacco moderately. 



