369
has previously touched the eyes of a trachomatous patient, and that the disease is of long duration, difficult to cure and difficult to recognize in its initial stages.
I must here repeat the declaration which the Board has constantly made to the Authorities, which is as follows:-
Admitting that trachoma is a disease which develops slowly; that it is difficult to diagnose at its commencement; and that it may readily be confounded with other diseases; if, then, only those persons are regarded as affected with trachoma in whom the disease has already reached its final stage of development, those in whom it is less fully developed will be able to disseminate it amongst us without hindrance, and as the Chinese immigrants penetrate into all parts of the Republic, they would spread the contagion everywhere, so that the disease would at length become as prevalent in this country as it now is in China, in Japan and in Syria.
The course of action suggested in these circumstances by hygienic requirements leans rather to the rejection of persons unaffected with trachoma, than to the acceptance of those in whom the disease may be yet latent, and for this reason the instructions which have been issued to the Medical Delegates are to the effect that all persons believed to be suffering from trachoma, whether the disease be unmistakeably developed, or its existence be merely suspected, are to be refused admittance to the country, and this is the course which the Board has consistently followed.
In the case of infectious or contagious diseases of a chronic character it is not practicable to proceed in the manner which has always been adopted in Mexico and in all parts of the civilized World in regard to vessels arriving with passengers or immigrants suffering from transmissible diseases of an acute character, such as cholera, the plague, and yellow fever. For cases such as these there are always one or more ports provided with a Quarantine Station in which persons actually affected, or believed to be affected with these diseases, can be isolated. This practice cannot be followed in the case of patients afflicted with chronic diseases, the
such
369
has previously touched the eyes of a trachomatous
patient, and that the disease is of long duration, dif-
ficult to cure and difficult to recognize in its initial
stages.
I must here repeat the declaration which the Board
has constantly made to the Authorities, which is as
follows:-
Admitting that trachoma is a disease which develops
slowly;
mencement; and that it may readily be confounded with
other diseases; if, then, only those persons are re-
garded as affected with trachoma in whom the disease has
already reached its final stage of development, those
in whom it is less fully developed will be able to
disseminate it amongst us without hindrance, and as the
Chinese immigrants penetrate into all parts of the
Republic, they would spread the contagion everywhere,
so that the disease would at length become as prevalent
in this country as it now is in China, in Japan and in
The course of action suggested in these circum-
that it is difficult to diagnose at its com-
Syria.
stances by hygienic requirements leans rather to the
rejection of persons unaffected with trachoma, than to
the acceptance of those in whom the disease may be
yet latent, and for this reason the instructions
which have been issued to the Medical Delegates are
to the effect that all persons believed to be suf-
fering from trachoma, whether the disease be unmis-
takeably developed, or its existence be merely sus-
pected, are to be refused admittance to the country,
and this is the course which the Board has consist
ently followed.
In the case of infectious or contagious diseases
of a chronic character it is not practicable to pro-
ceed in the manner which has alreays been adopted
in Mexico and in all parts of the civilized World
in regard to vessels arriving with passengers or im-
migrants suffering from transmissible diseases of
an acute character, such as cholera, the plague, and
yellow fever. For cases such as these there are al-
ways one or more ports provided with a Quarantine
Station in which persons actually affected, or be-
lieved to be affected with these diseases, can be
isolated. This practice cannot be followed in the
case of patients afflicted with chronic diseases,
the
such
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