MEDICAL SURVEY OF THE TOWN OF TAYTAY. 263 



hookworms; females, 6.6 per cent. Adiilts (over 15 years) gave 15.6 

 per cent, children 4.5 per cent. -The 311 adult males gave 71 infections 

 or 22.8 per cent, and of these 71 cases, 58 were between the ages of 

 15 and 50 years. In other words, of the 116 hookworms infections, 

 58 or exactly half were among the 240 males between the ages of 15 

 and 50, giving a rate of 24.2 per cent. 



IDENTITY OF PARASITES. 



Specimens were secured from about one-fifth of the cases and were 

 all of the "new world" hookworm, Necator americaniis. 



SEVERITY OP INFECTIONS. 



Of the 116 infections, there was no one which showed more than 

 from one to five ova to the average cover-glass preparation and the 

 greatest number of worms recovered after treatment in any one case was 

 fourteen. 



CLINICAL MANIFESTATIONS. 



In view of the small number of worms present in the cases of infection 

 with hookworms, any severe clinical manifestations would not be expected. 



However, in view of the interest taken in hookworm infections in 

 the Philippines the past two or three years, it was thought highly desirable 

 to investigate thoroughly and to demonstrate as clearly as possible the 

 actual medical importance of hookworms in the conditions as found 

 at Taytay. 



A Tallquist hsemoglobin test was made of the blood of 712 persons 

 who presented themselves at the clinic. Of this number 20 or 2.8 per 

 cent were recorded with less than 50 per cent of normal hemoglobin. 

 Most of these were just under 50 per cent. Two hundred and seventy- 

 five of the 712 patients tested for hgemogiobin, or a fraction over 38 per 

 cent, were recorded with between 50 and 80 per cent. Here again by 

 far the greater number approached the higher figure. Four hundred 

 and seventeen, or about 58 per cent, gave a hiemoglobin test of over 80 

 per cent. These figures indicate roughly that there was severe anaemia 

 present in something less- than 3 per cent of the people examined, a 

 mild anaemia in about 38 per cent, and normal haemoglobin in about 60 

 per cent. 



That the hookwonn infections can not be held accountable for the 

 anaemia found at Taytay is apparent from the facts that only 3 of the 

 20 patients in whom the hsemoglobin registered below 50 per cent and 

 only 21 of the 275 patients in whom it was between 50 and 80 per cent, 

 were infected with hookworms, while 61 of the 356 patients giving 

 roughly a normal haemoglobin estimate were infected with hookworms. 

 In other words, the percentage of hjemogiobin in the hookworm cases was 

 rather higher on the Avhole than in the cases not so infected. Tbis is 

 graphically shown in the following table. 



