The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-10-18
Eye Disease Among Pupils Of
New York Schools.
BLINDNESS Is APT TO RESULT
Ten 10 Every Hundred Of Those Affected
Is is Oangsr Of Losing Vision
Altogether.

New York. Oct. ts.-"of the children
attending school in all five boroughs II
per cent. have some form OF contagious
eye disease" said DIR. Lederle, president
OF the health department. yesterday
During the first three weeks OF school
his inspectors found ll6S5 cases Of dis
ease OF all kinds in Manhattan alone.
The inspection In the other boroughs.
because OF the lack Of facilities, has not
been so thorough. and DR.. Lederle has
asked for s2l 900 10 carry on the work.
1t is on the children already examined
that the health department bases its esti-
mate.
In 10 per cent OF the cases OF diseased
eyes blindness is apt 10 resultaccord-
ing 20 Dr.. Lederle and his stan Of ocu-
lists. unless operations are performed or
prompt treatment is administered. Trac-
homa is the disease which makes the
trouble; because II is extremely contag-
ious, deep seated and difficult of ultimate
cure.
1900 NEW CASES THIS FALL.
The examinations OF school children be-
the school year OF the 55.470 children
examined. $3.50 had trachoma. Since
school opened In September more than
5000 cases have been found
"Trachoma." said DR.. Lederle. lis
exceedingly contagious. Boys are more
liable to 1t than girls. In one boys
school we found twenty mine per cent.
OF the pupils affected. Every one OF these
children has been excluded. and even
now We think that IL might be advisable
10 establish trschoma schools. where boys
and girls afflicted with this disease could
continue their studies. surrounded by
others similarly diseased thus preventing
them spreading the contagion
DR. Lederle now has l43 medical men
inspecting the school children. Every
child Is forced to raise Its eyelids for
the inspection. or, IL IL cannot, the doc
tor does so with the aid of bits OF steril-
lied cotton. thus preventing the carrying
OF the contagion 10 the next subject, Dr.
H. w. wooton. the department oculist. is
In charge OF the work. He said last
night:
ONLY CONVEYED BY CONTACT.
"Trachoma Is chronic Inflammation
OF the conjunctiva, the mucous mem
brane covering the inner surface OF the
eyelids. The contagion is carried by con-
tact with towels. sponges or the hands.
~
1T Is hard to cure. The modern treat
ment is an operation. which consists OF
squeezing out the granular growths,
which occasionally even form on the eye
itself. The turning in Of the eyelashes,
due 20 the Inflammation, scratches the
cornea and scars II. thus rendering IL
opaque and producing blindness Blind
ness may also come from a granular al
fection OF the eyeball itself.
1--WE find the disease chiefly among
those who are not we'll nourished. IL
dren with trachoma should not come In
contact with children who are not SO
afflicted. The disease spreads like wild
fire. / personally found one class where
o5 per cent. of the pupils had trachoma."
child suffering with the disease is
promptly excluded from school What
the health department most fears Is that
the children will take the disease home
and through other children communicate
II to stores and factories all over town.