The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-10-09

WARNS SCHOOL BOARD
OF THE EYE DISEASE
DR.. Cornelius Williams Says All
Children With Sore Eyes
Should Be Excluded.


All children with any form of sore
| eyes should be excluded from the pub
| lie schools.
That is the warning of the Ramsey
County Medical association to the
board of education, as pronounced by
Dr. Cornelius Williams at the board
meeting of last evening.
DR.. Williams came before the board
| to speak with reference to the resolu-
ton adopted by the Medical associa-
ton at its meeting of several days ago,
in which the board is asked to take
steps to prevent a spread of the dis
ease of the eye known as trachoma
among the school children. The reso-
luton had not yet been received, but
DR.. Williams was requested TO en-
tighten the board on the subject of
this disease, as it was felt that if there
was any danger Of threatening no time
should be lost.
DR.. Williams dWelt upon the serious
ness of the disease of trachoma, and
the great trouble it has caused in local
tiles where it has gained q foothold.
He said that as far as is known it does
not prevail to an alarming degree in
this city, but it does exist, and physi-
clans are unanimously of the opinion
that measures should be taken at once
to prevent it's spread
SERIOUS IN view YORK.
He said that the disease is perhaps
| more prevalent in Holland than in any
other country of the world, and there
it amounts to a national calamity. He
said that in New York trachoma has
assumed most serious proportions and
there are now 100000 school children
affected, which is a ratio of about one
to six,as the school population is some
thing more than 100000.
Supt. Smith said that in the Lafay-
cite school, located on the West side
hats, there has appeared a disease of
the eye, and that as many as five pu-
pills in class of fifty had been found
to be affected, In this school, he said,
the principal has made it a practice
to send pupil home who showed any
indications of being thus affected.
Otherwise he had not heard of any
prevalence of sore eyes.
DR.. Williams gave a partially tech
nical description of trachoma, which,
he said, is highly infectious and very
serious malady.
In response to question from one
of the members of the board, he said
that the question of cure would de-
pend upon individual cases. 1t would
depend upon whether the patient was
living under hygienic conditions, the
progress made by the disease before
steal condition of the patient and 9TH
er elements.
Exclude Children Affected.
He said that it would be best to ex-
clude from the schools all children
suffering from Inflammation of the
| eyes in any form, not only as safe
| guard to the pupils generally, but for
the good ofthe one affected, for a per-
son having any affection .iof the eyes
should not be permitted to use his eyes
as in reading or study. -
DR.. Williams said that the time to
act would be before the disease of
trachoma had gained foothold, for if
1t should become we'll started among
the school children it would soon be
epidemic throughout the city, and it
would take years of time and a for
tune IN money to stamp it out He
said that it would cost New York from
$5,000,000 to $10,000,000 to eradicate the
| disease among its school children.
DR.. Williams pointed out the dan
gers of infection to be feared from the
| passing of books from one pupil to an
other, and the general use of some of
the utensils and borrowing of other
conVeniences. He spoke Of the impos-
! sibility OF impressing children with a
proper understanding of those dangers
| and said that the question could only
| be properly handled by the board of
| education and the teachers.
Inspectors Fry, Fisher and Rogers
| were appointed committee to inves-
tigate the present situation in the
| schools and report to the board as
soon as convenient