Parasitology

I read a book about tropical diseases, and the history of their treatment; “Who gave the Pinta to the Santa Maria?” by Robert Desowitz. One chapter is about hookworms; a nasty hemophagic parasite.

John D. Rockefeller and the United Fruit Company united against them, for this most self-supporting of reasons: healthy workers are more productive. According to the author, they had, in effect, been sharing their profits with the hookworm; therefore they eradicated it.

Doing well by doing good? Here’s another way to put it:

Don’t suck blood; Rockefeller...

... wait for it ...

... HATES COMPETITION!