Many immigrants arriving at Ellis Island were escaping disease. The doctors stationed at Ellis Island were officially called surgeons. The surgeons were commissioned by the U.S. Public Health Service (PHS). They were in charge of the medical examination of the line inspection of immigrants as well as the hospitals. They held the sole responsibility for medical examination, diagnosis, and treatment of immigrants. However, they did not determine who was fit to enter the country, rather they gave a report of their finding to the U.S. Immigrant Inspectors who made an informed decision. The surgeons were also not involved in quarantine, which took place on Hoffman and Swinburne Islands, two isolated islands (National Parks Service).
The U.S. PHS evolved from a 1798 Federal government program that provided merchant seamen with health care and medical treatment. In the 19th century, it was known as the Marine Hospital Service. The PHS was modeled after the military; the physicians wore uniforms and had ranks. In 1912, the program received its current name, the Public Health Service. The role of the PHS doctors was mandated by 1891 federal legislation in 1891 that medical inspections of all arriving immigrants must be conducted, and this role was designated to the PHS. The physicians saw themselves as “watchdogs at the gate” (John Parascandola).
The medical screening exam began the moment immigration officers could see the new arrivals. They watched their movements as they walked up stairs and made turns as they made their way from the Registry Room to the main building. For instance, they assessed their physical strength, from how they handled their baggage, and eyesight, through their proficiency in reading documentation. This type of informal medical assessment was a major component of the information gathered about the immigrants (Jay Dolmage). The exams were overall superficial and brief due to the massive numbers that the immigrants came in. The main components assessed were heart troubles, difficulty in breathing, or physical disabilities on the way to the registry room. In the Registry Room, immigrants stood in different lines, waiting for their hands, eyes, throat, and scalp to be inspected by a uniformed physician at the head of the line. A matron was required to be present when women were assessed by the male physician, although there were female nurses on staff as well. Two women doctors were appointed to the staff in 1914 (John Parascandola). During the eye exam each immigrant’s eyelid was inspected for trachoma by everting the eyelid with a button-hook, because no specialized instrument existed at the time (Howard Markel).
During the line inspection, to streamline the process, if an immigrant was suspected of having a concerning condition, the doctors would use chalk on the immigrants shoulder. They would write a letter which symbolized what illness needed further inspection. Some symbols were as follows: “K” for hernia, “G” for goiter, and “X” for mental illness. This process made the exams efficient, usually the whole line medical inspection was completed for an individual in less than an hour and the overwhelming majority of immigrants passed (John Parascandola). Thelma Matje, an immigrant who arrived in August 1912, detailed her experience in the line inspection, she notes that “on disembarking upon our arrival at Ellis Island we were herded through the portals of this haven for the lost and destitute souls and tagged with more labels on our clothing than a pedigreed dog” (Jay Dolmage). The method of using chalk labels was not only dehumanizing for immigrants, but they were left in the dark as to what these symbols meant about their future, or lack thereof, in America.
Catherine Gaetano Gallippi, whose interview clip can be listened to above, was born on February 17, 1914. She immigrated from Italy at the age of 8 in 1922. Catherine recalls the invasive hair exam that was part of her medical screening as she entered America. In 1990, when interviewed about her experience at Ellis Island, the hair exam was what stood out for Catherine. She remembers a young woman in front of her with beautiful braids. To inspect her hair the workers undid her braids and began to cut her hair in different places. In horror, the woman questioned their actions. They retorted, “well, my dear, if you want to be in America, we want to make sure that your hair is clean.” New arrivals to America were treated in this humiliating manner. They were scared and as they began their new life their dignity was crushed. Catherine’s personal recollection demonstrates the personal impact of the health inspections.
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About the Contributor
Talya Kronisch contributed to the Ellis Island page, in particular the third chapter, about medical examinations. Read more
