Arizona republican., 1909-10-24
PHOENIX, ARIz.. OCTOBER 24. 1909
Traehoma in the Schools.

tTdCflOUld iti tfC SS'SSS'
 grave problem confronts the peo- pie of Phoenix. It is the problem of suppressing the eye disease. trachoma, in the public schools.
 The health officer employed by the school board to examine the eyes Of the school children has not yet com pleted his task-the pupils at the Gen. traI building and at the Churchill school have not been examined. But. so far. 3S we'll developed cases of tra- choma have been found. The suffer CTS have been excluded from the schools. their parents have been re- auested to see that the children have proper medical treatment. and they will not be permitted to return to school until they can do so without danger to the other children. Some 25O cases are under suspicion, the eX- amining physician having not yet de- termined whether trachOma has de- veloped It is estimated that when the examination of all the schools shall have been completed it will be found that there are more than 50 developed cases of trachoma, not to speak of the suspicious cases which must await development In the matter of the suspected cases, the parents of the children are receiving notice in order that such treatment as may be neces- sary may be provided.
 The school district, of course. does not provide medical treatment. Its authorities merely determine the cases. and inform the parents of the infected children that they must have treat ment, the parents selecting their phy- sician.
 So much for dealing with the cases as they develop.
 The next step is to suppress the dis ease There is nothing especially alarming in the situation. if it is dealt with in a practical manner. But in order that there shall be a proper un- derstanding of conditions and that there shall be the necessary co-opera- tion. this publicity is necessary.
 This eye disease comes from the In- dians. It is prevalent on the reserva- tions, and is prevalent at the Indian school. The government many months ago realized the gravity of conditions among the Indians, and is proceeding to build for them a trachoma hospital at the Indian school.
 It is obvious that so long as Indians from the school. and the white children of Phoenix mingle freely, the infec- ton will continue to spread. Undoubt- edly the most fruitful plague spots of infection are the street cars in which Indians and white children ride to- gether. Take for example, the cars that ply between Phoenix and the In dian school Indians ride in nearly every car, and in nearly every car there are white children Indians, in riding. freely handle the woodwork of the cars, the tops of the seats, and so on. White children do the same. Indians. in entering or leaving the cars, grasp with their hands the wood en supports at the entrances. White children do the same
 Thus. an Infected Indian transfers from his eyes to his hands, and from his hands to the exposed places of the cars, the virus of infection. which white children in turn take up with their hands and which they may trans fer to their eyes.
 It becomes imperatively necessary, then. that there shall be some form Of segregating the Indians from white children on the street cars. As the first step. all the cars in use should he thoroughly cleansed as to their woodwork, and thereafter Indians should be excluded from the cars that are in general use. For the accom- 1nodation of Indians travelling 10 and from the Indian school, it would be practicable to run a separate car-run separately, or as a trailer attached to the regular car. Within the city, it would seem necessary to exclude In- dians from the cars altogether for some months to come.
 The work of segregation should not stop here. The children who have been excluded from the schools should not be permitted to ride on the cars or to mingle with other children. It is re- ported that several families. finding their children excluded from the pub lie schools. are sending the infected children to a parochial school. This should be stopped.
 It is a situation which demands the | earnest attention of the city council |