The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-07-02
Egyptian EYE DISEASE.
rlKE VIGOROUS nrBlsURns
u M RID HAMBURG OF II.

arrnies Or uailsrs nrtns ~ Este
-. rrou, the Hot Countries where II
p.-s,u,o-A Herribis rest n Neglected.
N Yields 70 Frompt Treatment.
I'M, despatch from Hamburg published In
orr Yesterday brought the Intelligence
j., that the Egyptian eye disease 10 prev
-, ,hore and that 1t is spreading 90 rapidly
es--.,cbool children that the authorities have
80 "a close the schools until December. Ac-
e ~, IA the despatch tho rapid spread Of the
49, IA attributed 70 tho great heat and
49,, under which Hamburg has been suffer
~ a drought which would bring about any
n..,ip0 In a peoples habits Of cleanliness
- 4, a contributing cause of the spread Of
!. 's,.,,e. and hot countries rather than cold
,..,,e the places where this Egyptian plague
:. ~sr,,inr. As q matter of fact, however, it
s.n.ciany contagious anywhere, and whom 1t
~, rain q ioothold outside Of tho countries
800 u 10 endemic It 10 usually In
,..tttutions or among bodies OF men or
Ausren. where It's spread 10 easy, quick. and
,.,,1tsble. 1t Is n most distressing and horrible
..i,ay when II gains sway. but, on he other
,,,d. II yields readily to treatment, IL the treat
.,,t IA begun in time. 1t destroys the eyoball
n n, progress lie not checked. but ordinarily It
IN nm its course and begin to subslde under
,,on,r caro- in from three to six weeks.
A leading oculist of New York, who wes able
A, ,neak from his own observation about this
I1,.r,,e. said yesterday that he had known 1t to
,,.troy the sight In forty-eight hours. Its viru-
lar. and extreme co~ntagiousness are It's great
e,t menace.
II a disease that 10 born, that thrives and
,nr,ads on dizziness. 1t 10 indigenous to Egypt,
I,dia. and Persia, and some other hot and dirty
~countries, and has been brought out Of those
countries to colder and cleanlier ones by armies,
,l,yo traders, and seamen. 1t IL q bacterial
disease and Is transmitted only by the convey
,pc. Of the microbe. 1t may have reached Ham,
burg overland. but is more likely to have com
nv way OF the port. 1t has existed In tho East
,ipce time immemorial. Western Europe made
ia acquaintance at the beginning OF this CEN
tury. n has made some costly progresses there.
Vigorous measures are necessary to rid the
plsces Of its visitation Of the contagion, and if 1t
authorities have some work before them to make
~ buildings aseptic again. The poison Ia as
likely to be on the walls as anywhere.
rl I0S unH eve disease, or Egyptian ophthnlm She
10 various other titles descriptive Of the cir.
sumstances under. which its appearance has
s si:., ao'G sS;o G I az as @ q disease ma,'o Of %i II as a % ssrr
yicA and DO. on. II L. a suppurative c~onjunc-
tiVitis. q suppurating Inflammation OF the con-
covers he front Of the eyebaii. Il begins with
vessels Of the lids and ball OF the eye. and a dis
charge, more or less profnse, Of pus. There
under surface Of the eyelids. and liberation
oithe cornea with perforation. and then follows
bs q sight from suppuration OF the eyeball.
ne liberation, having gone through the cornea,
destroys the eyehall itself. The granulation and
10 discharge referred to are not similar to the
1shere who awake in the morning with a slight
isastion about the eyelids which gives them q
sdcky feeling.
nero are two or three bacteria which give
rist To- the Egyptian ophthaimia. According to
u books there 10 the n,erismopedid and a diplo-
eecus and also a bacillus resembling that found
b aelte catarrhal ophthalmia. One writer says
hat tie specific micro-organism of the Egyptian
dhea:e issupposed to be the specific micro-organ-
I'm Of trachoma (which is a granular disease Of
ihsgelids. The size Of the microbe which causes
Tie Egyptian ophthalmia varies from six-tenths
damillimetre to q millimetre. One Of the evils
q The disease. oven when 1t IL cured before it
2. sita = ed the eys6aii: Is that in many in
~ condition. The treatment OF the disease
hsins with isolation, which is continued until
a shsclute cure is effected. coupled with cold
violations Of various sorts. sometimes iced
applications. 1t requires on the part Of the
mritioner as well as the sufferer a high degree
fhedisease was brought to England from Egypt
b. hsArmy In 1902. In 1906. and again three
lears later. II ragged in the military asylum at
gsisea: In the spring Of 1919 the French ship Le
vhere. in the early part OF April, a cargo" OF
lUnegroes was taken aboard. When 10 Rodeur
p1t 70 Sea again all on board were well. Fifteen
c1ys later the 160 negroes and all but one of the
t1Hozs bad the Egyptian ~ophthalmia. OF the
n:sfoe9 hfty-one lost their sight, as did twelve
she ships company OF twenty-five. Among
th..e was the ships surgeon.
Ashas been said, the disease fiourishes where
a.aniinees is lacking. but promptly and properly
saonded TO 1t yields satisfactorily to treatment.
hpradic cases are rarely encountered.