Manuscript on Malaria by Dr. Alonzo Lashbrook Blalock, M. D., of Madison County, Florida.

Transcript

[page 5]

42

ceases to flourish and grow, have it removed or burned. It would
be well to cut down and burn all undergrowth and cultivate the soil,
planting either grain or grass. The function (Strike through) <Prevention (Handwritten)> of decaying
vegetable matter should be kept in view in selection of shade trees-the oak
should be burned and instead plant the sycamore-and there should be
few shade trees. The orchard and fruit trees should be some dis-
tance from the home. A residence may, with impunity, be located
near a lake or pond, if it has a sand beach and drainage is such
that the water level is kept uniform, and there is no adjacent low-
land subject to periodical overflows. Again, the farmer should not
be content until he secures a deep-bored well and has filled in the
old surface well. The time has passed for "the old oaken bucket,
that hangs in the well."

Of <prodromes (handwritten)> : In a very beneficent manner can the doctor
serve humanity if he is painstaking and conscientious. Never is a
malarial infection insidious; there is always ample and timely no-
tice. These so-called <prodromes (handwritten)> are most sure to come, es-
pecially is this the case with young people and children. Instead
of dismissing the case with instructions to take a cathartic, a dose
of castor oil, or some worm medicine, the doctor should first make a
microscopical examination of the blood, to eliminate malaria in his
diagnosis. IT is too common for doctors to guess at what is the mat
ter . It is a professional injustice to himself, even if he does not
charge for his prescription, whenever a child quits play long and
begins to complain of headache etc. and refuses to eat heartily and
some article of food disagrees, be assured there is something ser-
iously the matter; and the doctor should, if possible , be positive
as to what is wrong physically. Isn't it a pity we no longer have
the "family physician" ? - people are wild about specialists. Only

Full Text