The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1913-02-15
IRACHOMA A MENACE
Disease of Indians and Immigrants
Attacks Native Americans.

(Alfred c. Reed, Public Health Ser
vice, Ellis Island Immigrant Station
Exclusive Service The Survey Press
Bureau.)
An enemy which we have fought at
ports Of entry and on our far from
tiers has suddenly appeared in our
very midst. The dread invader is
trachoma. Its victims we have long
reservation Indians, and the innrni-
grants at our gates. But now we
find that the disease has stolen
march on us and made our own Am
erican stock its prey. The foothold 1t
has gained puts it in a position to
menace the nation.
Down in the beautiful mountains of
Kentucky live a people of the purest
American ancestry. Stalwart, brave,
enduring, unmixed with other blood,
they show the sturdiness of the pio-
neers who followed Boone to the virgin
wilds beyond the ranges. The mighty
train of American development has
swept by, leaving them side-tracked,
forgotten. neglected, in the hills of
their adoption, an unknown people in
the midst Of a busy careless nation.
The poorer among them live for the
most part in small and sparsely scat
tered log cabins. Families number
I1suaIly~ten to fifteen members, all of
whom eat, sleep and live together in
the one room of the cabin. The COM
often large stone with a hollow in
it's surface, difficult to empty or clean.
To this each user contributes his share
of germs. Hanging next to it is the
large family towel, which is on duty
for days in succession.
Cabins have no windows TAT all or
small ones at best, and all openings
are scrupulously closed at night in the
winter time. Ventilation is of the poor
est at any time. Close intermarriage.
lack of even rudinentary sanitation,
and monotonous ill-suited diet predis-
pose children to many ills including
tuberculosis and other infectious dis
eases. Ring-worm of the scalp, I'M
corrected defects of vision, adenoids
infection, are common. The unkennpt
and neglected condition of these chill
dren is pitiable Many are mentally
backward and defective. The typical
mountaineer however, is usually intel
1igent and wide-awake even though il
1iterate.
The social and economic needs of
| these mountaineers of Kentucky, Ten
| nessee Carolina and Virginia are be
ginning to be recognized. But it. has
remained for DR.. John McMullen of
the federal Public Health Service to
call attention to most serious dam
ger now menacing them. In a re-
cent investigation he found trachoma
present to an alarming and unsuspect-
ed degree and the blindness and de-
fective vision resulting from it respon-
sible for an inca1culable impairmen
| of social, economic and intellectual eff
| fciency.
| Trachoraa, is a communicable disease
| OF the eye-I1dS WI11cn II unCreaISO, US
ua1ly progresses to blindness, and
practically always causes interference
with vision. Among 1000 persons ex-
amined DR. McMullen found that 500,
or IL 1-2 per cent. had trachoma. From
| 8 to 10 per cent. of the school chill
! dren were affected. One of the i'm
portant factors in the spread of the
| disease is the common family towel.
Most of the cases receive no treat
ment and each case becomes local
focus of contagion. 1t appears that
| the disease must be of long standing
| in these mountains, and that it is get
| ting progressively worse.
Trachoma is chronic and persistent t.
| Treatment for it must be Iong-contin-
ued and carried with unremitting
/. care To prevent its spread among
the southern mountaineers, DR.. &c
| Mullen emphasizes the need of a cam
pafgn to show the Importance of san
| itation, fresh air, clean homes and
| personal hygiene. Stereoptfcan lee
| lures in public buildings and schools
| will help. Visiting nurses and social
| workers are needed to preach the gos-
pei of sanitation in the individual
1 home. other social agencies must be