The Adair County news., 1915-04-07

of Clark, which is in the blue grass re-
gion, although bordering on the noun
tainS. In these seven counties 1874
were then examined and five hundred
of them or IL per cent, were found to
be suffering from trachoma. l sup
pose that many of the Adair county
teachers take and read the ,Adair
County News and hope to induce all
of them to do so, because it is for
their benefit largely that these letters
are being written. The last investi-
CATION has included % counties, all
but three of which are in the noun
tain or Eastern part of the State. A
detailed survey was made in all these
sections. each one being visited for
the purpose of locating the most heav-
lily infected portions. While the dis
ease has been found widely scattered,
it is not evenly distributed, but exists
in nests so to speak, and some sections
are comparatively free from it. A to-
/ tai of 1906 persons were examined,
and 1,2SO or practically per cent,
were found to be suffering from ira
coma. OF these examined, Is, 696 were
school children, and 1924 were persons
examined outside of the schools On
/ ly small mum Der of negroes were eX-
amined, since there are very few in
the mountains The census of 1910
gives only $1,000 blacks in a popula-
tion of SCI SOL in the 50 mountain
counties We found very few blacks
infected, and like hook worm, the
blacks seem to be practically immune
from it. The type of the disease in
this section is very severe and it's mu-
tilating effects are seen everywhere
In order to fully appreciate the suffer
ing among the victims of this disease,
one would have to actually see these
cases in Kentucky. The disease IN.
treated remains more or less through
out the lifetime of the individual, d
constant bodily discomfort to himself,
damages his eyeSight, and constitutes
him menace to his neighbor. Ira
choma is very contagious disease,
and it used to be generally believed
that 1t could be transmitted by sim
ply looking at one with sore eyes, but
| think this is a mistake. 1t can be
caught however, by using the same
Washpan, the same towel. and the
same dishes at the same table, and u.s.
ing the same dipper for drinking pur.
poses. 1t can be contracted in many
ways, and the wonder to me is, that in
these mountain counties all are per.
mitted to attend school together.
The census Of 1910 shows that the pop.
ulatiOn of these 20 counties is 300, 600,
, and the general average of tracoma
| found among the people examined was
, s per cent. If the same rate of prev.
alence would exist among the rest OF
the population there would be 24,0OC
cases of the disease in 20 of the 3:
mountain counties Estimating that
the other ID counties have 100000 pop
| ulatiOn and the same amount of in
Spection this would add $4,000 more
, trachoma cases, making d total Of 33,
: 600 of this communicable disease in the
mountain section alone Teachoma
! is also 'eported in the Western pOr
ton Of he State, particularly in the
counties of Muhlenburg Butler anC
Andel on. An investigation made by
| the service in the winter of 1854, Of
the school children of Jefferson county
| showed that sos had trachoma, and i,
, would not be surprising therefore, tt
5 find upon investigation, that the dis
ease was present in practically every
t part of the State. In the hook worn
campaign, conducted by Dr. Lock in
Adair county. he found one case o.
trachoma, but it was so mild that il
would, and did escape my notice. But
the foregoing facts show fearful con
ditiOn of affairs in our State. A fear
fully contagious disease, running riot
among our people, causing blindnes:
and defective vision among tens o.
thousands of our citizens, with prac
tically nothing being done to relieve
the situation. When | start out tt
visit the schools this coming summer
| shall make it point to examine the
eyes of every pupil present. Of course
, the time allotted to me in my visit.
! would preclude the idea of making {
| critical examination, but l will b.
able to tell if the disease exists TO an
> great extent, and shall remove from
> the school every suspicious case, ant
turn them over to their regular fam