In this book, Horrigan reviews the medical inspections and legislation affecting steerage passengers immigrating to America from Europe 1892-1954 through Ellis Island. The letter-codes of suspected or real illnesses in the immigrants were written in chalk on their lapels. A listing of the codes and meanings in a calligraphic text done by Ann Miller are printed on a three page fold-out. -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.

The text deals with a stone-inscribed form of an ancient alphabet, Ogham, found in parts of Britain where the Irish language was in use from the 4th to the 7th centuries. -- Source of annotation: Marvin or Ruth Sackner.