The Prescott daily news., 1916-02-23
PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE
 HOSPITALS CURB TRACHOMA A

| HOSPITALS CURB 1RACHOMA A
 The establishing of small trachoma hospitals in localities where this con- tagious disease of the eyes is pre- valent presents the best solution of the trachoma problem, according to the statement contained in the annual report 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 a wait 1 ing list has been established. In the past fiscal year 12,000 cases of tra- choma have been treated, the larger proportion of which were cured, while those in which cure was not ef- fected have been greatly improved and rendered harmless to their associates. The great majority of these trachoma patients were people who lived in re- Imote sections far removed from medi- cal assistance, and who, but for the hospital care and treatment provided would have remained victims of the disease practically the remainder of their lives.
 When it is considered" the report of the Service states, "that thousands of persons suffering with trachoma, q dangerous contagious disease, would otherwise remain untreated, it is realized how far-reaching results have been obtained through these trachoma hospitals and the other pub lie health work done in this connec- tion. It would be impossible to esti- mate with any degree of accuracy the number of people who have been saved from contracting this commun- icable disease by thus removing these thousands of foci of Infection"
 In addition to treating persons with the disease the hospitals have been used for educational work. Doe tors and nurses have visited the homes of the patients and have eX- plained how to prevent the develop ment and recurrence of the disease One thousand three hundred and eight such visits were made during the year in Kentucky alone. Tt has taken some time," the report con inues, "to educate the people af- lficted with this disease to the inn portance of cleanliness and the use of simple hygienic measures in their daily life" That results have been obtained is evidenced by the notice ably better observance of hygienic precautions by those among whom the work has been done.
 In addition to the hospital work surveys were made in 16 counties in Kentucky, especially among school children Eighteen thousand and six teen people were examined, per cent being found to have trachoma Similar inspections in certain locali- ties of Arizona, Alabama, and Flor ida resulted in finding the disease Ipreseut in from three to six childrer out of every hundred. Periodic cX- animation of school children for the disease and the exclusion of the af- hicted from the public schools afs two of the recommendation Erb- lie Health Service lays emph o~r
 One of the special featrr the trachoma work was the giving oi lectures and clinics before medical societies in various counties where trachoma hospitals could not be es- tablished. Patients were operated upon in the presence of physicians land .ae most modern methods of tro"tmept demonstrated Through ort, the purrose has been to stimu- Hate local interest in taking up the campaign to eradicate trachoma.
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