368
suffering from trachoma. As this disease is always transmitted from the trachomatous to the healthy individual; consequently, if persons suffering from trachoma are discovered amongst the immigrants on arrival at Salina Cruz, persons similarly affected must also have been on board on the departure of the vessel from the Port of Hongkong. This single fact is sufficient to prove that the examination conducted by Dr. Grone was not so scrupulously exhaustive as the complainants appear to imagine.
Before proceeding further it is necessary to define the interest displayed by Mexico on the subject of trachoma.
This disease has probably existed in Mexico, but it is of such rare occurrence that only specialists were cognizant of its presence. Amongst the generality of practitioners it was totally unknown to the extent that the very existence of the disease was doubted, and in any case much incredulity existed as to the possibility of its ready transmission on the high table lands of our country. It was necessary for a distinguished Mexican Oculist to discover a slight epidemic of trachoma in the Correctional School in order to awaken public interest in this disease, and give rise to a series of discussions which took place at the Academy of Medicine in this Capital. If the oculists were opposed to one another in respect to certain etiological details, they were unanimous in the opinion that the entrance into this Republic of persons suffering from this disease should be prohibited, because it is especially liable to spread rapidly amongst the poorer classes, who live huddled together and disregard the most elementary principles of hygiene.
Seeing that a large proportion of our population consists of such people it was necessary to adopt special measures to prevent a hitherto almost unknown disease from becoming endemic in Mexico. In order to form an idea of the danger which threatens the Mexican Republic if we freely admit into the country trachomatous persons from abroad, it must be borne in mind that there are 30,000,000 such persons in the World; that trachoma is highly contagious, for, in order to become infected with the disease, it is sufficient to have wiped the face with a towel which
has
1
368
suffering from trachoma. As this disease is always
transmitted from the trachomatous, to the healthy,
individual; consequently, if persons suffering from
trachoma are discovered amongst the immigrants on ar-
rival at Salina Cruz, persons similarly affected must
also have been on board on the departure of the vessel
from the Port of Hongkong. This single fact is suf-
ficient to prove that the examination conducted by Dr.
Grone was not so scrupulously exhaustive as the com-
plainants appear to imagine.
Before proceeding further it is necessary to de-
fine the interest displayed by Mexico on the subject
of trachoma.
This disease has probably existed in Mexico, but
it is of such rare occurrence that only specialists
were cognizant of its presence. Amongst the generality
of practitioners it was totally unknown to the extent
that the very existence of the disease was doubted, and
in any case much incredulity existed as to the possi-
bility of its ready transmission on the high table lands
of our country. It was necessary for a distinguished
Mexican Oculist to discover a slight epidemic of trachoma
in the Correctional School in order to awaken public
interest in this disease, and give rise to a series
of discussions which took place at the Academy of
Medicine in this Capital. If the oculists were op-
posed to one another in respect to certain etiologi-
cal details, they were unanimous in the opinion that
the entrance into this Republic of persons suffering
from this disease should be prohibited, because it
is especially liable to spread rapidly amongst the
poorer classes, who live huddled together and dis-
regard the most elementary principles of hygiene.
Seeing that a large proportion of our population con-
sists of such people it was necessary to adopt special
measures to prevent a hitherto almost unknown disease
from becoming endemic in Mexico. In order to form
an idea of the danger which threatens the Mexican
Republic if we freely admit into the country trach-
omatous persons from abroad, it must be borne in
mind that there are 30,000,000 such persons in the
World; that trachoma is highly contagious, for, in
order to become infected with the disease, it is suf-
ficient to have wiped the face with a towel which
in
has
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