Trachoma and US Immigration Restrictions: 1892-1924

Trachoma was the eye disease that restricted many immigrants from 1892 to 1924. Trachoma could lead to night blindness, scarring, or damage to the cornea that resulted in complete or partial blindness. Although effective treatments with sulfa antibiotics are now accessible, it is still a leading cause of preventable blindness, primarily impacting poor, rural area populations in less economically-developed regions.