Evening star., 1941-04-06
Reports of Progress
Against Troehomo
By Frederic J. HdSkin.


nature and cure OF the dreaded eye
disease, trachoma, by physicians and
consultants of the United States Indian
Service, constitute particularly signifl-
can't contributions in wartime. Research
and analysis OF conclusions found in
medical journals and elsewhere reveal
that the disease is widely prevalent in
those countries where fighting is now
going on-in the islands of the Medi-
terranean and the countries bordering
it, in Italy, the Balkans, Greece, Turkey
and throughout Asia-Minor and parts OF
North Africa.
Because trachoma is highly contagious
and spreads rapidly with the movements
Of troops or civilian refugees from war,
the new sulfanilamide treatment in
which the Indian Service has pioneered
successfully, is proving of timely value
throughout the world. Physicians in
several countries have already reported
success in applying the Indian Services
sulfanilamide treatment in the cure of
trachoma.
About half the estimated 10000 cases
Of trachoma in the United States are
found among the Indians. About eight
years ago, the Indian Service instituted
a campaign of research and expert
mentation in the disease. Over a period
of five years. DR.. Phillips ThygessoD Of
Columbia University. the late DR.. r. 7.
Proctor, and DR.. Polk Richards, Indian
Service medical director in charge of
trachoma activities, conducted experi-
ments 20 prove that trachoma was caused
by virus. This was the first discovery.
Physicians had previously considered
the disease a bacillus granulosis"
Treatments ranged from operations
which often SCARED the tissue and left
the eyes permanently damaged, to ex-
ternal applications Of harsh solutions
which sometimes arrested the disease
over period of several months treat
ment but did not always prevent re-
currenCe. On hearing Of the virus theory,
DR.. Fred Loe. Indian Service physician
on the Rosebud Reservation in South
Dakota, who had been treating trachom-
atous Indians for 20 years. began ex-
sulfanilamide. He instituted Sulfanila-
mide treatment for two of his most
hopeless Indian patients who had been
treated over a period of two or years
with no improvement The eyes of
these two Indians began to clear up in
five days with daily doses of sui.
fanilamide. In a month they were dis
charged from the hospital as arrested
cases, and the second discovery was ac-
complished.
In October, 1888, Dr. Loe's preliminary
report on his success in treating almost
200 trachomatous Indians with sulfanila.
m1de Was printed in the journal Of the
American Medical Association. DR.. Loe
reported that the average sulfanilamids
treatment required only about two weeks
and that the eyes began clearing up
within "a hours after the first dose, with
photophohia and lacrimation ceasing
altogether. He had carefully checked
his first patients over a period of six
months and longer, finding that in no
case had the disease recurred. Requests
for DR.. Loe's report came from physi-
clans in almost every country of the
world. News of the sulfanilamide treat
ment is still spreading.
OF ancient origin, trachoma seems
favored by unusual exposure to wind,
dust and sun. Its spread is attributed
to lack of adequate washing facilities
and crowded living conditions.
Little progress had been made in
eliminating the ancient scourge through
out the world before discovery of the
sulfanilamide treatment. because of the
fact that previous methods of treat
ment had often proved more painful
than the disease itself Even now, the
need of expensive equipment and trained
ophthalmologists in diagnosing the
disease will probably mean years before
trachoma is eradicated completely.
Medical journals reveal that the
disease has long been a problem to
Army physicians. A British War ONCE
health report on its East Indian Army in
1882 states: There are few eyes that
do not show some signs of trachoma;
those signs are found in apparently
healthy eyes only on everting the upper
lid. II all recruits are rejected because
they have some signs of mild trachoma,
the field for recruiting will be enor.
mously curtailed."
Hungary. the first country to or.
ganize methodical campaign against
the disease, at first rejected trachom-
atous conscripts during the first World
War. As the need for greater man.
power arose, however, special trachom-
atous battslions were organized, equipped
with ophthalmologists who treated the
men in the trenches and in the bar
racks.
The famed British ophthslmologist, A.
F. MacCallan, believes that the large
percentages of blindness found in Pales-
tine and Egypt are due to mass infec-
ton Of trachoma among the natives OF
the two countries. Almost of every
100 persons in Palestine are blind in one
eve or both. 1t is thought that the
yearly pilgrimages of Christians, Jews
and Moslems through the ages to the
Holy City. as we'll as the movements of
troops through this country, have ag-
gravated the seriousness of trachoma
and steadily taken its toll in blindness.
Such ancient seats of civilization as
Palestine, Greece, Syria, Iran, Iraq,
Egypt, Thailand and French Indo- China
have probably known trachoma the
longest time. The disease is endemic