The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-11-18
THE SIGHT OF A NATION.

In an article contributed to the cur
rent North American Review Francis
Weston Carruth tells of the municipal
crusade that New York city is conduct
ing against the contagious eye dis
ease known as trachoma, brought to
this country by immigrants. This dis
ease, Mr.. Carruth declares, is rampant
among the poor of the seaboard cities
and presents a problem not alone to
those towns, but to large urban COM
munities from one end of the country
to another. According to the writer, it
today menaces the sight of nation.
He gives as the cause Of the disease.
in infection by contact.
This crusade which New York is
conducting today is the pound of
cure, for it is only few years ago
that the government forbade the land
ing in this country of immigrants who
were afflicted with trachoma. "The
malady had been many years flowing
into the country, steadily increasing,
numbering it's victims by the thou
sands, developing with astonishing
rapidity among children, working evil
to them unobserved,'' says Mr.. Carruth,
largely because, in it's incipiency, it
makes no outward sign" The munich
pality Of New York began it's attack
on the malady in the public schools.
where on examination it was discov-
cred that there were 5000 cases in
twentysiX schools. At the beginning
of this year the city made an appro-
priation of $4,000 for the stamping out
of the disease, and now, according to
the article, the disease is already un-
der control. The plan Of campaign
consisted, first, in the examination of
the eyes of every child in the public
schools. Those students found to be
infected were sent to one Of the city
dispensaries or, if the pupil could af-
ford it, he was privileged to consult
private oculist. He was not allowed to
return to school, however, until treat
ment had commenced.
But the work has not stopped with
the public schools. The eyes Of the
tenement babies are being examined,
and this autumn the health commits
>sioner has inaugurated a system of
eye inspection throughout the factories
and stores Of Greater New York.
''Thus is a progressive municipality"
conducting within its borders a win
ming fight, to stamp out disease the
prevalence of which throughout the
country will be more generally realized
as cities awake to the necessity of ar
resting the scourge, and determine that
in justice to the eyes of their citizens
the healthy should be protected and
the diseased cured"
Most cities have witnessed spas
modic attempts on the part Of boards
of health, inspired generally by spas
modic interest on the part of citizens,
to see that the eyes of the public school
children were in good condition. But
when it was found that the condition
was good, or when 1t was discovered
that some parents objected to this wise
paternalism, the inspection was drop
ped. New York is perhaps the only
city in the country that can point to
results, and this because it's crusade
against trachoma has been practical
and continuous. But alarming condi-
lions forced New York to take up the
work In other cities 1t is not too late
for the ounce of prevention. An ade-
quate inspection Of the eyes, skin,
throat and head of every pupil who en-
ters the public schools of any city
would go a far way toward stamping
out various forms of contagious dis
eases.