Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1916-02-05
DREADED DISEASE CAN
Be STAMPED OUT
Many Inquiries Received by Trib'
une Relative to Spread
of Trach0ma.
EYE DISEASE CALLED
MENACE TO AMERICA"
In Interview Local Physician
Says Trachoma Is Prevalent
in the Nation.
in the Nation.

|
upon the people of the United States
that the federal and state authorities
should Immediately take more vig0r-
GUS steps to control the spread
of trachoma The Tribune having re-
ceived many inquiries and sugges-
tons in the past few months, in or
der to get first hand information had
one OF it's staff interview DR.. Il. NJ.
MacLachlan, the Bismarck specialist,
with view to obtaining facts con-
corning the disease, It's nature, pre-
valence, etc. DR.. MacLachlan stated
he was pleased that The Tribune had
the initiative to take such a public
spirited stand in the matter and that
it would be an act Of philanthropy of
the highest order to call attention to
the prevalence of this dread disease
in the columns of the daily press.
An Old Disease.
| TrachOma, the doctor stated has
been known since ancient times and
is supposed to have it's original home
in Egypt, whence it was brought to
| Europe by the returning armies of
Napoleon after his Egyptian cam
| paign and, although some authorities
claim that the disease has existed in
Europe since the most remote times,
there is no question but that the Ma
| poleonic wars caused many epidem
| les, because the armies came so often
| into contact with one another and the
civil population. From Europe tho
disease was brought to the Unitei
States by immigrants.
Trachoma is infectious, the dis
ease spreading from the afflicted to
the eyes of the we'll by means OF the
pus discharge which is always pres
ent The disease as it advances
causes numerous granulations of the
| lids and for this reason has often
been named&%3gei anular AZ granlllated
lids. @..''....
Causes Blindness. A.
Few realize the aRrevalencea Of ira
choma in the United States, but the
National Committee for the Proven
ton of Blindness, in bulletin with
the striking title, ''Trachoma-a Men
ace to America reports that there
are $4,000 cases of the disease in Ken
lucky alone and that $4,000 OF the
223, 900 Indians in the country are az
| fiicted with trachOma. The report
also quotes statement from one of
the most prominent New York ocu.
is any part of the county where ira
choma case can not be found" DR..
! MacLachlan insists that trachOma
presents larger economic problem
than any other field of preventive
medicine. Although, no, one dies OF
the disease, half of those who have it
are rendered partially or totally blind,
and their economic usefulness there
by greatly decreased. Trachoma is
slowly but surely contagious and
spreads through schools, communities
and institutions but Bismarck, be.
cause of it's wonderfully healthful
location, drainage, water supply and
efficient school board, never sees
case of trachoma unless brought in
from the outside for treatment"
Disease Is Durable.
Concerning the durability of the
trachoma is essentially chronic ana
may last for years and while difficult
and at times discouraging to treat,
nevertheless, persistent treatment
will in the majority of cases be re.
Warded by cure.
The treatment he outlines is one
that must be applied by an oculist I'M
der constant observation for several
months. Such treatment cannot be
carried out in sparsely settled COM
munities with any degree of success,
so the hope of the future lies in ef-
forts to prevent trachoma. since it is
absolutely preventable by the institu-
ton of simple hygienic rules. The
education of all the members of the
community concerning the disease and
its Infectious nature should be begun
since its eradication in the United
States depends entirely upon the fed
eral authorities. If they will see to it
that every family, afflicted with .hs
disease, is sought out and instructed
in methods of preventing ard DESTROY.
ing the infection, in very shors
time trachoma will become rare
disease. This happy result could be
brought about at an expense to the ma
ton much less than is now expended
for the prevention of disease among
dumb animals For few thousand
dollars spent in educational propa-
ganda hundreds of human beings
could be spared years of suffering
from the scourge Of trachoma.