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Show Advice on Your Health By Morris Fishbein, Editor, Journal American Medical Association ' flies, It Is apparent that trachoma tracho-ma Is an Infection that spreads easily. It affects people of any age. Usually from four to 10 days after the material has lodged In the eye. there will be Inflammation Inflamma-tion and swelling, pain, watering of the eyes, and Inability to look at light. This is followed by a reddening and roughening of the membranes covering the eyelids with the possibility of secondary Infection and with great scarring ' before healing occurs. About one-half of the people In 1 the world, according to one authority, au-thority, have been Infected with trachoma. In such countries as Egypt, Palestine. India, China and Japan, almost everyone among the poorer classes has the disease. If strict cleanliness Is not observed, almost anyone may catch this lnfectlen of the eyes. Whenever the Infected material mate-rial from the eyea of one person is passed Into the eye of another, there Is a possibility that-lnfec-tion will begin. Since auch passage pass-age can be brought about by the hands, a towel, a handkerchief, a pillow, by sneezing or even by Slnce It is quite possible that the Infection may spread from the eyelids to other portions of the eye. It Is obvious that good treatment at the earliest possible moment Ik of the utmost Importance. Impor-tance. Until recently the only useful treatment Involved turning turn-ing back the eyelids and rubbing the membranes with solutions of silver nitrate. Now sulfanilamide and sulfa-pyridine sulfa-pyridine have been Introduced Into the treatment of this condition, condi-tion, apparently with excellent results. But most Important of all la the development of a prop--er hygiene in relationship to the ear of the eye. In dusty areas, where there are cases of trachoma among the Inhabitants, In-habitants, It Is important to keep the eyes scrupulously clean. They should never be rubbed with the fingers. Indeed, people will do well to avoid shaking hands with anyone In an area where there Is a considerable amount of trachoma, tra-choma, 1 |