The Immigrant Experience

Disease and Medical Issues of the Immigrants of the early 20th Century

Immigration Misconceptions• Fear of the spread of contagious disease has often been

used to try to prevent immigration• Certain diseases became incorrectly associated with

certain ethnic groups• Tuberculosis was often associated with Jewish

immigrants while Polio was linked to Italians• In 1893 Congress adopted the Rayner-Harris National

Quarantine Act which set up procedures for the medical inspection of immigrants and permitted the president to suspend immigration on a temporary basis.

Immigrants and Disease• Movement of people has historically facilitated the spread

of infectious diseases• In 1892 the port of New York imposed a 20 day quarantine

on passengers who had traveled in steerage in an effort to slow the flow of immigrants into the United States

• Fear that immigrants carried disease mounted with news of an approaching Cholera pandemic. The epidemic, which had begun in India in 1881, did not subside until 1896

• When 200 cases of Typhus appeared among Russian Jewish immigrants who had arrived in New York on French steamship in 1892, public health authorities detained the 1,200 Russian Jewish immigrants who had arrived on the ship and placed them in quarantine to keep the epidemic from spreading.

Significant Disease Outbreaks Associated with Immigration

• 1881-1896 – Cholera (Worldwide)• 1892 – Typhus (New York)• 1900 – Bubonic Plague (San Francisco)• 1918-1919 – Spanish Flu (Worldwide)• 1924 Pneumonia Outbreak (Mexican Border)• 1980’s – AIDS (from Haiti)

Inspections at Ellis Island

• Immigration inspectors were charged with determining if immigrants represented a threat to the US population if admitted

• Inspectors observed subjects as they walked up the staircase to the Registry Room

The Six Second Exam

• Medical officers observed their movements in what became known as the six second exam.

• They were looking for any obvious deformities or medical problems. Experienced inspectors were able to take in six details in one glance; namely, the scalp, face, hands, neck, gait and general condition.

• If anything unusual was noted, the immigrant would be stopped and a closer examination would be done.

• Next, came a more formal inspection.

Identifying Medical Issues

• Immigrants who had obvious symptoms of mental or physical problems were sent to the examination room.

• Here, they would receive a more detailed examination.

• Immigrants with medical problems were identified by marking their outer garments with white chalk.

• Abbreviations were used for the various problems. (H, Pg, F, E, X etc)

Inspector’s Abbreviations

•H•Pg• F•N•P

More Inspector’s Abbreviations

• L• Ft• G• K• Sc

E, CT, C

Mental Examinations

• The intelligence of the immigrants was tested due to laws that had been passed excluding "idiots, imbeciles or morons and other mentally deficient persons.“

• Codes for Mental issues:

X, X inside a circle, S

After the Exams• If they passed the examination they would be

sent back to join the main group• Immigrants were also sprayed with “Ellis Island

Disinfectant” to rid them of lice etc…• Immigrants would sometimes turn their clothes

inside out to hide the marks made by inspectors• If they did not pass, they would be held on the

island in separate dormitories until they were cured so they could enter the United States.

• Immigrants not cleared for entry were deported back to their country of origin.