The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1917-01-25
UNCLE SANS AIDS
MAKING BLIND See
Federal Doctors Save Sight Of
Hundreds in Campaign
Against TrachOma.
PREVENT SPREAD OF DISEASE
Or. John McMulIen, Known as the
Miracle Man" Among the Noun
taineers, Tells Interesting
Incidents of Work.

"You are a sight for sore eyes," had
a double meaning when friend used
that expression in greeting DR.. John
McMullen, the physician who has been
leading Uncle Sans public health serv-
ice campaign against trachoma, or
granulated eyelids.
In the past year through him and
his assistants hundreds have regained
their sight, and thousands have been
cured of the disease, which In time
would have destroyed their eyes. The
lufection threatened to involve many
states, but the service has held 1t with
in the Appalachian regions of Ken
lucky, Tennessee, Virginia and West
Virginia.
1t has treated and cured thousands
of cases within these districts, but Its
force is inadequate to cover the coun-
try properly and many cases are run
Ding on to certain blindness.
The economic value of the work al
ready done cannot be estimated, for
there is no telling how far the infec-
ttOn would have extended by this time
If it had reached the more pOpulOus
areas; but it's humanitarian accom-
plishment has paid hundredfOld on
the federal capital-$43, 900 last year
invested.
Save 1900 From Blindness.
The service has three hospitals in
Kentucky and one each in the other
three states where trachOma is preva-
lent. 1t probably saved at least 1,S0O
patients from total blindness; has had
an attendance of 10000 days in the
hospital and given over 100000 treat
ments at clinics.
The doctors and nurses managed to
give 328 talks, visit $500 homes and
625 schools.
"Gov'ment Doctor" McMullen, who
is regarded in that section as miracle
man, was induced to tell some of the
many incidents that he knows about
the work among the simple and hos
pitable mountaineers.
Imagine your eyelashes turned un-
der the lids and resting on your eye
balls" he said, then you will have the
sensations with which trachoma tor
lures it's victims. AS the disease pro-
crosses the eyebaIl is affected and the
vision impaired until gradually the
sight is lost
"The feeling is that light must be
kept out, and in the advanced stages
patients go about with their eyes
swathed night and day in bandages.
"a dear little girl of twelve, who was
brought to us by her mother, wore a
deep, old-fashioned SunbOnnet, which
she would not let anyone remove, night
or day. Its shade protected her eyes
from the daylight and her imagination
made her believe that it helped her to
bear the pain at night. OF course it is
often difficult to induce these peO-
pie, unfamiliar with anesthetics, to
submit to operations. but the hardest
struggle we had with this young lady
was to remove that sunbonnet
"She was so young that the eyes had
not been affected, and she was in a few
weeks as well as ever, and she has not
worn hat since that time.
another child presented a pitlful
case. The little thing had so long car
ried her head to one side to avoid the
CLINT of the sunshine that her spine
had become curved. We have cured
the eyes, but we cannot restore the
back.
BY Order of the Court.
"Two cases-the only ones-came by
judicial cOmpulsiOn. A local magis-
trate had before him neighbor who
had committed some indlscretion, and
this was the oracular judgment: John,
you know l can send you to Jail, but
you think amt goin' to. I am,
though, unless you do what l tell you.
You have smd, by thunder, you
wouldn't let Doc McMuIIen touch your
boys eyes, and now say, by thunder
If you don't, I'll send you to Jail until
you do
"To save trouble for John. those boys
were carefully treated, and each of
them made good recovery.
1--WE are as busy as we can be, but
we know that we are reaching only n
small part of the cases. Some in the
way-back districts do not come, and
our force is too small to reach them
where they live.
"The various counties have provided
money for the rest of the houses which
we hire, and In some cases have added
small sums. Communities are begging
us to establish hospitals where they
can reach them, but we have not the
men or the nurses or the money to run
them. Each hospital requires 20 BEDS
physician who is a specialist in the
treatment of eyes, besides Lurses and
orderlies, and each costs about $1,000
year.
"a torpedo destroyer costs about
81 100000, which is 100000 more than
the total annual appropriation for the
public health service. Out of that
amount it must maintain the marine
hospital service, including a sanatorium
for tuberculous patients and quaran-
tine at all ports of entry to the United
States and our islands. 1t has a staff
of only 200 regular physicians and
about $50 part-time men. So the real
reason the service can do no more for
the American blind is that it lacks the
money"
More Stock in Forests.