12 



THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



The Matron and some of her Charges on the Roof. 



of 720 cases transferred to the Quarantine Hospital at the Harbor en- 

 trance before the completion of the present contagious hospital on Ellis 

 Island. 



The third division of the medical inspection is " the line " or pri- 

 mary inspection. This is the part that the visitor to the island sees, 

 and has been often described. Suffice it to say that as the immigrants 

 leave the barges they pass in single file before the medical officers who 

 pick out all who present evidence of any mental or physical defect. 

 They are turned aside into the medical examining rooms for more care- 

 ful observation. Each defect or disease receives a medical certificate 

 signed by three physicians, which places the bearer in one of the three 

 classes already mentioned. Those who require immediate medical or 

 surgical care for any reason are transferred to the hospital, as are also 

 certain cases in which longer observation and more detailed examina- 

 tion are necessary for diagnosis. Examples of this are tuberculosis, 

 parasitic scalp diseases, mental disorders and trachoma. 



Having been certified or passed clear in the medical division, the 

 immigrant goes together with those from the barge who have not been 

 turned aside, to the upper or registry floor, for the inspection of the 

 immigration authorities. These inspectors ask the same questions that 

 the immigrant was required to answer when the ship's manifest was 

 filled out before embarkation. This covers such information as name, 

 age, destination, race, nativity, last residence, occupation, condition of 

 health, nearest relative or friend in the old country, who paid his pas- 



