TRACHOMA.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2617, 27 September 1909, Page 2

TRACHOMA.

A RETURNED NEW ZEALANDEIL

One of two Europeans, who were rejected at San Francisco on the score that they were suffering from trachoma, was interviewed by a “Dominion” representative. He was on his way to Vancouver, hut, thinking he would like to have -a look at San Francisco, he booked by the Manapouri for Tahiti, and went on from there to San Francisco by the Mariposa. “Beforo I left Wellington I was examined for trachoma, and pronounced ‘clear.’ -and was also examined by an American doctor at Tahiti, who also made rue out ‘clear.’ “What made the Health Officer more suspicious on our arrival at San h Tancisco wa s the fact that we had some cases of typhoid on board—three or four eases developed on tho trip from Tahiti * “What sort of an inspection did undergo at ’Frisco?” “The doctor just looked at me, pulled down my lower eyelids, and put back my top ones —it was all over in. half a minute.”

‘'What did the doctor say?” “He didn’t say anything. He had o.ur names, and all about us on a sheet, and simply made a mark against them as they passed through his hands.” “Who told you that you were blocked?” “The immigration officer—about an hour and a-half after the inspection. We got into port on Friday, and went into dock the next day—Saturday, when the Shipping Company called in a specialist to examine us. He pronounced me clear of trachoma, but that did not seem to do any good. All tho time we were kept on board. On tlie following Thursday tho first specialist came on board again, bringing another with him, said to be the best in California. Ho overhauled us again, and said we were clear of trachoma. lie also inspected the Maoris, bringing tho number of those affected down from 18 to three. “Then wo went into quarantine. To show how much the Port Health Officer know, one of the Maoris who had been passed as clear got among those placed in quarantine, and when he made his protest he was pronounced to have trachoma. On the way up to San Francisco there was a German passenger from Christchurch. On leaving Wellington he was told to bathe his eyes, as they were a little inflamed. He got nervous as to whether the authorities would allow him to land at San Francisco, so, on arrival at Tahiti, he took out a saloon ticket for the rest of the journey.” The “Dominion’s” inform nt, whose eyes looked quite normal, said that he had never had any trouble with them in his life. “What I would like to say is that tho idea of getting a certificate here (as suggested by the Oceanic Company’s agent in Tahiti) is no good. Tfie v don’t take any notice of certificates at ’Frisco. If the Health Officer says you’ve got trachoma, you’ve got it, and there’s an end of it!”