The evening world., 1894-07-31
NESDAY Boarders' Day., % s*
EYE PLAGUE RAGING.
Discovered by Evening World"
Doctor in the Seventh Ward.
Supposed to Have Sprung from the
Grand Street Bath.
Health Board Takes Prompt and
Vigorous Action.

The Board Of Health was notified this
afternoon Of the sudden outbreak in
the Seventh Ward of a virulent conta-
gious disease.
Immediately upon receiving the report
DR.. Doty, Chief of the Bureau of Con-
tagious Diseases; Sanitary Superinten-
dent DR.. Roberts, and a corps OF in
spectors from the medical stan started
out to make an investigation and to
close forthwith the source from which
1t Is supposed the disease eminsted.
The disease Is known as ''purulent
ophthalmia." Two years ago the Board
Of Health was called upon to combat
a sudden and widespread outbreak in
the downtown districts, and It was many
weeks and by the very hardest work
and severest methods that the disease
was wiped out.
The disease, In simple terms, Is an in
Illumination of the eyes, with a discharge
Of virulent pus. Often times the afflicted
one becomes blind. and even after re-
covery 1t is considered a very rare ex-
ception by the medical profession If
neither eye is permanently affected.
In three tenement houses in Monroe
street, no less than twenty cases were
found this morning. Just to what ex-
tent the disease has spread and how
many are actually afflicted is not
known, nor will it be for three or four
days, II the house to house canvass
proposed by DR.. Doty Is completed by
that time. 1t is feared, however, that
there are at least 100 cases in Monroe
street alone, and perhaps scores OF
others in the tenement houses in the
vicinity OF lower Grand street.
But thanks to the efficiency and watch
fulness of DR.. Henry Freeman, 20 Jeffer-
son street. a memter Of The Evening
worlds Corps Of Free, Doctors for the
will be checked at least, and the pa
tients already afflicted given proper med
ical attention.
1t vas pr. Freeman who, made the
OF mercy in the squalid tenements this
morning, administering to the relief OF
the $50 scores of Of infants, sick and dyins
the dis ease had spread nearly all over
the ward. and that the consequences
were certain to be appalling unless
made to, check it, he FASTENED to DR..
Doty and told him of the situation
In the tenement-house, 242 Monroe
street, Or. Freeman found twelve cases,
children ranging from two to sixteen
years. There were other cases in the
same houses which the doctor did not
see. Some, Of the patients presented a
most repulsive appearance. and their
suffering is described by the doctor as
something to excite the greatest COM
passion.
The eyes of the children were terribly
swollen and there was continuous dis
charge. Every attempt to wink the eye
brought a fresh discharge and caused
severe pain
was spread by the public bath at the
foot of Grand street. All the, patients
he found. stated that they had been in
the habit of going there for a plunge
daily.
The disease two years ago was spread
which was closed by the Board of
this instance is probably correct; Al all
events the bath at the foot of Grand
street will be temporarily closed.
The disease begins, Dr. Doty says:
sand. The eyeballs become inhamed
ard unable to stand the light. The sem
sation is feverish at the beginning, but
soon there comes a protuse discharge, OF
matter, and as soon as the Inflammation
increases. the eyes become closed, be-
cause of the weakened condition of the
| muscles of the eyelids and the accumu-
lation of pus.
The inflammation after three or four
days becomes so severe that the pus
presses against the eyebalis and often
| times destroys the sight 1t scarcely
| ever fails to impair the sight perma-
| nently.
Under the most favorable conditions
| and with the best of treatment pa
| tent rarely RECEIVERS within month.
| They are kept in dark room with
| their eyes bandaCed.
The most common remedy and the one
which has given the beste satisfaction Is
an astringent OF alum, nitrate OF silver
| and a wash of boric acid
| There Is no question In DR.. Freedman
| mind that the disease owes It's origin ana
| spread to the Grand street bath. he
| believes that the water is polluted by
| the discharge Of some sewer near by
| or else from some other source.
| The children. especially those OF the
| tcneme nt-house classes, TO Whom they
| are usually blessing, patron'ze the
public taths as ofta? as the care
| iilkers will hermit. They often wipe
their faces, when they wipe them at al.
| on The same rag, AMI through that ny
| dun quickly contract the disease. II
| is also very probable that they contract
the disease from the water of the bath,
I'M the most OF the cases come from
| contact at home. where, as at present,
whole families are afflicted
| owing to the absence or President
| Wilson a meeting of the Board OF
| Health was not called to tmmedta tely
| adopt plans to combat hte contaSion
, hut effective measures were taken by
Drs. Doty and Roberts until the matter
can be taken under advihement to-mor'