The DeSmet leader. (DeSmet, Kingsbury Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-06-23
SIGHT AFTER SIXTY YEARS.
Surgery Gives 1t to q Woman Born
ing the Light OF Day for the First

Surgery Gives 1t to q Woman Born
Blind-Odd Sensations on Behold
ing the Light OF Day for the First
Time.
Philadelphia, Pa, Special.--An old
colored woman was sewing by the light
of an oil lamp in the front room of a
small house on Center street, Ely, Ger
mantown, last evening, There was some
thing decidedly wonderful in this fact
commonplace as it might at first appear.
The woman Mrs. Harriet Holmes, who
is 60 years old. was blind from her birth
until three weeks ago. Mrs. Holmes
was born near Cambridge, on the East n
eho," of Maryland, and came to Phila-
delphia about three years ago to live
with some relatives in Germantown.
She was several times taken to German
town Hospital on Penn street, and be-
came known in that institution rs "Blind
Aunt Harriet"
DR.. l.. w. Fox, one of the surgeons at
the hospital, was attracted by the pc
culiarity in the formation Of her eyes,
yiaoeu him .ha. her s:Sh. .a:chs be re.
stored. The old woman's consent to an
operation was not obtained without diff
fculty, as she said that she was dread
fully afeared of dem cutten doctors"
DR.. Fox was delighted at the success
of the operation, which consisted in the
removal of cataract from the le # eye
by what is knownas "Grarbis method"
and awaited with great interest the ar
rival of time when his subject could be
taken into the light. At last she was re-
moved to one of the wards of the hos
pital which looked upon the street, and
the bandage was removed
The patient started violently and cried
out, as il with fear, and for moment
was quite nervous from the effects of the
shock. For the first time in her life she
looked upon the earth. The first thing
she noticed was little flock of sparrows
In relating her experience to n reporter
last night she said that she thought they
were teacups, although, strange to say,
few moments afterward she readily
distinguished a watch and chain which
was shown her. 1t is supposed that this
recognition was owing to the fact that
she heard its ticking and at once as.
sociated the two together.
at seemed kinder queer" she said to
the reporter, "but knowed things put
ty quick" 1t Itappears that she was soon
able to distinguish those objects which
she had been accustomed to handle,
such as a chair, door, or q table. She
said that everything seemed pretty, and
although at first all objects appeared to
her bright and shining like gold, she
soon became accustomed to colors, and
can now distinguish them very well. For
a long time distant objects appeared &c
near that she thought sne could touch
them. She begins to distinguish dis
rances, il not too great. Owing to her
first impression of distance sine was for
some time afraid to walk with her eyes
open, the ground or floor appearing q
"fur way off" in strange contrast with
her impression Of distan. object. The
popular impression that person born
blind who is restored to sight imagines
that men and women are walking on
their heads, and trees looks like ele-
plants, was not verified in her case. al
though she now even makes mistakes
quite as ludicrous, as in the case of the
mistake Of the birds for teacups.
The blaze of a lamp excited the most
lively surprise in her mind. She had
no idea what 1t was, and when 1t was
brought near her wanted to pick 1t up
When night approached upon. tho day
when she first used her eyes she was in
q fright, fearing that she was losing the
sight which she had so wonderfully
found after sixty years of darkness. Nat
nrally she thinks DR.. Fox is the greatest
man who ever lived, and, with the super
stition of her race, cannot be convinced
that he does not possess superhuman
pOwar