Ellis Island Eye Inspections were Terrifying
One of the most pervasive tales from Ellis Island has inspectors using long, sharp hooks to hold back eyelids for eye inspections. This procedure has become part of the mythology of the facility, turning it from a simple bureaucratic process to a fearsome ordeal. This procedure was of the important health checks for immigrants coming through Ellis Island. Examiners often did, in fact, use a button hook to check eyes for symptoms of trachoma, a bacterial eye infection that can lead to vision deficiency or blindness.
In the era before antibiotics, three out of four trachoma patients went blind. U.S. officials were concerned that eventual loss of sight would mean the incoming immigrant wouldn’t be able to earn a living and become reliant on public aid. According to nonprofit Save Ellis Island, inspectors disinfected the button hook with diluted Lysol before using it on the next person in line.
