Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1916-03-03
PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE HOS.
PITFALLS CURB TRACHOMA.

The establishment of small trach-
oma hospitals in localities where this
contagious disease of the eyes is prev
alent presents the best solution of the
trachoma problem, according to the
statement contained in the annual re-
port of the Surgeon General of the
United States Public Health Service.
The service now has five trachoma
hospitals in the three States of Ken
lucky, Virginia and West Virginia,
and so great has been the number of
applicants for treatment that wait
ing list has been established. In the
past fiscal year 10000 cases of ira
chmoa have been treated, the larger
proportion of which were cured, while
those in which cure was not af-
fected have been greatly improved
and rendered harmless to their asso-
ciates. The great majority of these
trachoma patients were people who
lived in remote sections for removed
from medical assistance, and wro,
but for the hospital care and treat
ment provided would have remained
victims of the disease practically the
remainder of their lives.
"Whcn it is considered" the report
of the Service statcH, "that thousands
Of persons suffering with trachoma, a
dangerous contagious disease, would
otherwise remain untreated, it is real
lied how far-reaching results have
been obtained through these tracho-
ma hospitals and the other public
health work done in this connection.
1t would be impossible to estimate
with any degree of accuracy the num-
Der of people who have been saved
from contracting this communicable
disease by thus removing these thous-
ands of foci of infection"
In addition to treating persons with
the disease the hospitals have been
used for educational work. Doctors
and nurses have visited the homes
of the patients and have explained
how to prevent the development and
recurrence of the disease.
One thousand three hundred and
eight such visits were made during
the year in Kentucky alone. at has
taken some time" the report contin-
ucs, "to educate the people afflicted
with this disease to the Importance
of cleanliness and the use of simple
hygienic measures in the daily life"
That results have been obtained is
evidenced by the noticeably better
observance of hygienic precautions
by those among whom the work has
been done.
In addition to the hospital work,
surveys were made in sixteen coun-
lies in Kentucky, especially among
school children. Eighteen thousand
and sixteen people were examined,
seven per cent being found to have
trachoma. Similar inspections in GER
tain counties in Arizona, Alabama,
and Florida resulted in finding the
disease present in from three to six
children out of every hundred. Pc
riodic examination of school children
for the disease and the exclusion of
the afflicted from the public schools,
are two of the recommendation the
Public Health Service lays empha-
sis upon.
One of the special features of the
trachoma work was the giving of lee
lures and clinics before medical So
cieties in various counties where ira
choma hospitals could not be stab
iished. Patients were operated upon
IN the presence of physicians and the
most modern methods of treatment
demonstrated. Throughout, the pur-
pose has been to stimulate local inter
est in taking up the campaign to
eradicate trachoma.