The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1916-02-24

opticon slides are exhibited showing
the precise means by which trachoma
and other diseases, including typhoid,
spread. This campaign Of education
has made rapid Roadway and, as cures
multiply, the faith of the mountain
public in Uncle Sans teaching is in
creased.
Only few years ago the sort Of Wis.,
itor from the United States govern
ment who was familiar in the Ken
lucky mountains carried a Winchester.
He was looking for secret whisky
stills and was Venturing upon dan
gerous errand among a very hostile
people. The good samaritan from the
public health Office, upon his erraEd
of love and charity, has now become
as thoroughly an established charac-
ter in this rugged region as the inter-
nal revenue agent used to be. Prob
ably no other influence has served
more effectively to bring the outside
world into close and friendly relations
with the mountaineers.
Sixty Miles for Treatment.
THAT these people realize and ap-
preciate what we are trying to do for
them" said the medical officer in
charge of the trachoma work at the
headquarters of the public health
service In Washington recently, was
impressed upon me by an incident
which occurred when ! was at the
Hindman hospital not long since.
AN old man brought in his son who
was badly afflicted with trachoma. 1t
was decided that an operation was
necessary, but the boy overheard US
tell his father this. The lad slipped
out and ran away, home. 1t was 20
miles across the mountains. The ia
Their and son had walked this 90 miles
to the hospital.
"The father at once walked back,
found his son and repeated the long
foot journey into Hindman the next
day, where the operation was per
formed and the boy cured. That meant
| a 60-mile trip on foot-hard, rough
| going all the way-by the parent to
! force his son to take advantage Of the
opportunity offered by the govern
| ment.
when we see these things we know
| our work is well worth doing
The appeal of such incidents to the
hearts of simple, natural and kindly
people Is manifest. There was the case
of a mother of four children, none OF
whom she had ever seen The vision Of
both eyes was SO far impaired by ira
choma that in bright sunlight she
| could not recognize anyone. Following
brief treatment at one Of the noun
tain hospitals she returned to hel
family and saw her children for the
| first time.
There was an old man who was led
40 miles across the mountains fol
treatment. Though blind for years. hii
vision was restored and he returned
home without escort. " ..s->
AS stated, there is no miracle-curt
about it; no use of marvellous eye-wa
ter, no mystery whatever. Eliminating
medical terms, 1t is largely business
of rolling back and sandpapering the
inside Of the eyelids. After that comes
| thorough cleansing, continued regular
ly by the patient. OF course, If the con
valescent returns to the cabin aid
uses infected towels, the disease re
| turns.
The work Of the government sur
| geons in the mountains is not limited
to trachoma. Not long ago one un
usually busy day, an assistant surgeon
general Of the public health service
received an unexpected visitor 1t was
teacher from Hindman, KY, where
the eye hospital has since been estab
lished. She had ridden % miles to the
railroad station and thence had made
| the long trip to Washington upon most
urgent business: The assistant sur
| lance in course of the trachoma field
Investigations.
T.. Finding Typhoid Source.
doctor" she said. there are 81
cases Of typhoid in Hindman and nc
means of caring for them. We do not
know the cause of the epidemic and
came here to see II you cannot hell
us"
b.. How long will you be here?" she
was asked
Il am starting back this afternoon
We'll send one Of our men with
you"
So, the second day following. a fed
eral health officer accompanied the
schoolteacher On the ride into Hind
man. In a sense, the surgeon went
armed, but not with rife and ammuni
ton. A packhorse bore his arms
very ordinary looking box containing
a field laboratory especially designed
for emergency war against typhoid.
He had serums for those already III
and assisted the local doctors mate
rally In treating those already sick
What was more important, he had the
means of locating the cause of the cpl
demic. This, after patient investiga
tion, he finally discovered.
A typical mountain stream, cold and
clear as crystal, runs through the cen
ter of the town. Some three miles up
this stream the federal surgeon found