The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1906-01-18

cured in one month. They pay 8
marks a day for the use of the hos
pital and marks for medical treat
ment, SIPS a day in all. Similar hos
pitals' are found at other control sta
tons on the border where Russian
immigrants are held up.
''In most cases the so called cure
Is only temporary. Immediately after
the treatment the immigrants eyes
lose their redness, the Inflammation Of
the eyelids disappears, and tears cease
TO flow. Sometimes the cure will last
only overnight. In other cases the
eyes are not again affected for weeks.
When Russian Jew who has under
gone such treatment passes the in
spection Of the German official at the
border he is frequently sent to New
York, whether he wants to go or not.
He is regarded as the legitimate prey
of certain steamship companies. For
example, l have heard such talk as
this at the border stations: Agent
Where are you going? Immigrant-To
England. Agent-You are liar; you
are going to America. Show me how
much money you've got.
1.-THE immigrant produces his money.
which the agent takes, handing back a
through ticket to New York and the
change in German money. Of course
the agent gets his commission from the
steamship company. If an immigrant
no u hi q in,
he buys a second class ticket and SO es-
capes inspection by the steamship ply
sician at Bremen or Hamburg. / have
often heard steamship agents on the
border advise diseased immigrants to
take a second, class passage, which,
they say, will get them through safely.
''Other Russian immigrants fearing
deportation at New York manage to get
to England and attend eye clinics at
Liverpool and London. Here they are
told that Ellis island will certainly
catch them, but if they go to Boston or
Philadelphia they can land. Some,
however, go to Canada, hoping to reach
the United States that way. One Liver
pool boarding house is kept by Andrew
Barber at Kent street. Barber told
me he could get anybody through. He
said the steamship doctors examine the
first cases thoroughly, but let the last
few through easy.
"For the purpose Of appearing i'll
good shape at Ellis island, the Ameri-
can port, and evading the inspectors,
immigrants with trachoma frequently
use drug called adrenaline. This inn
mediately stops the Inflammation of the
eyelids by causing local anemia. They
carry the stuff in a vial secreted in
their clothes AS its effect soon wears
off, immigrants baye to repeat the
treatment again and again on the sly.
The use of adrenaline, however, does
not always fool the inspectors, and l
believe that at Ellis island these fakirs
are generally caught The drug gives
the eye certain paleness which, by an
experienced inspector, may be detect
ed
DR.. Fishberg emphasized the fact
that Commissioner Watchorn, at Ellis
island, was doing all in his power to
catch "doctored" aliens. He said that,
in his opinion. better work could not
be done, yet he said Ellis island should
not have to bear the brunt Of the fight
against the diseased alien. The law
by which q steamship company was
fined $1OO for every diseased alien
caught aboard, he said, was not suf-
ficient deterrent.
There should be a rigid inspection
on the other side," he said. Marine
hospital officials ought to be stationed
at all the important immigrant stations
Of Europe The marine hospital serv-
ice OF the United States is famous for
its efficiency, and it would thus head
off the tide of disease at it's source.
Naples is the only European port at the
present time where officials Of this
service are now stationed, and their
vigilant and thorough work there has
let few diseased immigrants through"
The doctor said that such an exten-
sion Of the marine hospital service had
been strongly recommended by Mr..
Sargent, the commissioner general Of
immigration, who, he added, was doing
all that was possible to keep the
shores of America Clean"