August 1, 2022
Jarrow (Ambushed!) chronicles the discovery of a deadly parasitic hookworm, the campaign that endeavored to control it, and the epidemic’s social implications in this prodigious work, part of the Medical Fiascoes series, which recounts U.S. public health crises occurring in the 19th and early 20th centuries. In 1902, zoologist Charles Stiles encountered a hookworm pervading the Deep South and named it Necator americanus, or “American murderer.” The parasite spread through human feces and emaciated its victims, who numbered nearly three million. Believing hookworm was “an inevitable ailment of the poor class,” middle- and upper-class white Southerners opposed treatment efforts. Stiles attempted to change their minds by manipulating their racial prejudices, stating that Black people “were better adapted to the parasite and more immune to its most harmful effects”—since it was thought to have originated in West Africa. Scientific and societal intersections are only summarily explored in this introspective work, which features straightforward prose and informative sidebars detailing other historical Southern maladies and the scientists who studied them. Photographs, diagrams, and microscopic slides are included throughout; a timeline, glossary, and additional information conclude. Ages 10–17.
August 1, 2022
A case study of a public health campaign that attempted to control a debilitating disease, with only partially successful results--sound familiar? The title is a literal translation of the hookworm's scientific name Necator americanus, but the lurid details don't stop there as Jarrow goes on to expand her 2003 title Hookworms with accounts of the creepy creature's life cycle and the discovery of just how disturbingly prevalent "America's bloodsucking murderer" was in the South in the 19th and early 20th centuries. She chronicles canny efforts, which began in 1909 as an initiative of the Rockefeller Sanitary Commission, first to galvanize those who were afflicted with hookworms to accept treatment and then to educate them about the necessity of proper human waste disposal to prevent reinfection--attempts that were initially met with skepticism. With portraits of prominent researchers and images of the toothy terror mixed in, the illustrations also include period photos of victims, many with symptomatically wasted bodies and bulging eyes. These last give powerful visual dimension to the story, but sharper viewers will notice that images of White individuals predominate. Though the author acknowledges the reality of segregation and discrimination--including the assumption that African Americans were not as susceptible to hookworm--she does not fully unpack the issue, implied by the illustrations, that the campaign leaned more toward White populations. Still, if reading that the infection rate dropped from an estimated 37% overall to 11% by 1940 may look like failure to readers expecting another tidy wipeout like the (supposed) eradication of smallpox, that's many thousands of lives saved or improved. And if today, in many parts of the world, as she claims at the end, "the worms are winning," here at least is a partial victory to celebrate. Despite the odd blink, a searching look at the borders between science and society. (timeline, glossary, websites, author's note, source notes, bibliography, index) (Nonfiction. 11-15)
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September 1, 2022
Gr 5-9-Jarrow continues her "Medical Fiascoes" series with this concise yet fascinating history of hookworm disease in the American South. By the early 20th century, large populations in the South were suffering from an unknown illness that left them emaciated, anemic, and unable to work. This was primarily occurring in rural poor communities. At the time, hookworm disease was largely unknown and rarely diagnosed by American doctors, despite it occurring for several decades in the South as well as in other countries. One doctor, Charles Stiles, a renowned parasitologist who worked for the USDA and later the Public Health Service, found that it was easy to diagnose, treat, and prevent. He dedicated much of his career to educating people about this debilitating illness. He faced obstacles on multiple fronts, including cultural resistance to outsiders, economic obstacles to updating sanitary conditions, and his less than charming personality that did not win him many supporters. For the first half of the book, with her usual flair, Jarrow highlights the science of hookworms, which has plenty of gross appeal to keep readers engaged. The second half is equally intriguing as she focuses on Stiles's tireless efforts along with the cultural and historical aspects of the period. VERDICT An excellent addition for middle and high school students.-Karen T. Bilton
Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
September 1, 2022
Zoologist Charles Stiles discovered a new species of hookworm: Necator americanus, the titular "American murderer," which affected a large portion of the population in the American South during the late 1800s and early 1900s. Hookworms pass through the skin into the blood, lungs, and small intestines where they can feast, sometimes by the hundreds, on their unsuspecting hosts, leaving them emaciated, feeble, and dull-witted. Eggs pass out of the body with feces, and since many people defecated in the woods surrounding their homes and went barefoot during that period, it's no wonder hookworms were widespread. The cure was simple and inexpensive, but local doctors did not recognize the symptoms or treat them properly. Moreover, many people did not trust Stiles, despite his position at the U.S. Public Health Service: he was a scientist, not a doctor, and he wasn't a Southerner. It would finally take a partnership with the Rockefellers' philanthropic organization to properly amplify his message. Jarrow (Blood and Germs, rev. 3/21), who has carved out a niche for herself in the history of science and medicine, here adeptly weaves solid research, primary-source quotes, and historical artifacts with elements of mystery for a compelling read. A glossary, an author's note, source notes (with primary sources indicated), bibliography, and an index are appended. Jonathan Hunt
(Copyright 2022 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)
Starred review from August 1, 2022
Grades 6-9 *Starred Review* The terrifying cover of this latest installment in the award-winning Medical Fiascoes series features an enlarged photo of an alienlike creature with a toothy, gaping mouth that will instantly lure readers drawn to the creepier side of life. Jarrow's impeccable research and fascinating details will keep them hooked, especially when they discover that this creature, known as Necator americanus--the American murderer--is a hookworm that once plagued the South. Although the hookworm was present long before the turn of the twentieth century, Jarrow focuses on this time period when Charles Stiles, a zoologist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, began to piece together a puzzling mystery. Millions of Southerners were suffering from such ailments as anemia, fatigue, and malnourishment, or what came to be known as the "laziness germ," as those infected were unable to learn or work for an extended time. Jarrow describes how Stiles concluded that sufferers were actually infected by a parasite and follows his fervent campaign to educate and cure the South. The author also addresses socioeconomic influences, explaining the impetus of Southern stereotypes and how a lack of sanitation in poor communities contributed to the hookworm's rise. Numerous archival photos place readers in the time period, while a concluding chapter looks at ongoing parasitic-worm dangers across the globe. An engrossing blend of history and STEM.
COPYRIGHT(2022) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
July 1, 2022
Zoologist Charles Stiles discovered a new species of hookworm: Necator americanus, the titular "American murderer," which affected a large portion of the population in the American South during the late 1800s and early 1900s. Hookworms pass through the skin into the blood, lungs, and small intestines where they can feast, sometimes by the hundreds, on their unsuspecting hosts, leaving them emaciated, feeble, and dull-witted. Eggs pass out of the body with feces, and since many people defecated in the woods surrounding their homes and went barefoot during that period, it's no wonder hookworms were widespread. The cure was simple and inexpensive, but local doctors did not recognize the symptoms or treat them properly. Moreover, many people did not trust Stiles, despite his position at the U.S. Public Health Service: he was a scientist, not a doctor, and he wasn't a Southerner. It would finally take a partnership with the Rockefellers' philanthropic organization to properly amplify his message. Jarrow (Blood and Germs, rev. 3/21), who has carved out a niche for herself in the history of science and medicine, here adeptly weaves solid research, primary-source quotes, and historical artifacts with elements of mystery for a compelling read. A glossary, an author's note, source notes (with primary sources indicated), bibliography, and an index are appended.
(Copyright 2022 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)