The evening world., 1894-05-05

Addition to the Eye q
The adults have cataracts, the result Of
insufficient or bad food, bad hygiene or
c~ontagion. The children catch sore
lect and the hard lines Of distress, COM
bined, a%ggravate the trouble.
A large contribution Of infant cases
Of the midwives. An unfortunate scrap
Of humanity. with red eyes, too slow
about viewing the field, where the battle
ne a,fe + Th to n mld fSHifEh'ii is r eonsuite anea the
common remedy she prescribes Is a little
breast milk Dr. sweet oil. Instead OF
healing, an unmanageable Inflammation
develops, and in the processes of ulcera-
ton begin the destruction of priceless
sight. The cases of blindness from this
sort of Ignorance reached such startling
infrmary that through the representa-
ton of one of the surgeons a bill was
passed in the State Legislature making
1t a misdemeanor for a midwife to pre-
cases.
Taken in time. diseases of this sort
can be readily overcome. often by IS, snch
illness, individual beds and wholesome
surroundings. Babes less han a week
old are frequent ueGtm pS1tishntas' t and i tb6 noshaaas
Of Infants and young children saved
from total or partial loss Of sight every
year by the surgeons Wouid Justly anu
ennoble the existence Of this infirmary.
Hundreds of Asylum Children.
Another extraordinary. feature Of the
clinic work is the periodical a~ttendanSe
waite institutions of every. race. demon.
nation and nationality IN and apout
Sew York Sor 18th They , SiYnR,n in s s,Tins east Of
sorrowful little lot, In the graceless garb
of the ~workhouae or the pathetic uni
form of charity, afflicted with contagious
ophthalmia or something, worse.
The children Of the public are numer-
Gus. The increase Of population, the
influx from other. cities and countries
from the homes of wretched men and
women aggregate an army of little mis-
cradles too vast for the conveniences
residential schools. Foundlings. aban-
doned children. children of vicious par
ents. orphans and children who are
committed to the public institutions be
lives are too great for their parents
all these must be admitted, taken in
and cared for by the managers in the
With the small appropriations, large
living expenses and not always large
experiences
Evil is wrought by want OF thought.
As well as want OF heart.
To illustrate.
Ten years ago one of the distinguished
surgeons of the inirmary prepared a
paper for the Committee on Hygiene of
the County Medical Society on conta-
gious ophthalmia in asylums and resi-
dental schools. To ascertain to what
this disease of the eye was due twenty
four Institutes were visited and hundreds
OF children examined.
One In Every Five Afflicted.
OF this doleful army Of blighted child
hood one child in every five had a COM
/ mnnica bile eve disease which WAS liable
to be transferred to the others.
1t was learned that In several institu-
tions Il was the practice of the manager
worst cases, to be treated outside Of
the institution. Only those who know
how the other half live" can appreciate
and the cruel injustice done the child.
One case Will suffice to illustrate the
pity of IT all, A young coachman OF the
had her sent to the island. The neglect
ed children were put In a Catholic home.
where they contracted granular lids
erowding., The little ones We're sent
home, and, having no other, resources.
the father gave up his. work to nurse
them. He caught the disease. lrrepar;
to be removed. Now he is somewhere
about New York, selling lead pencils or
grinding pitiful discords from a tuneless
music-boX.
In one of the charity schools visited
by the surgeon there were sixty chill
changeable handkerchiefs. Among 1926
boys there were ninety-six cases of con
tagious ophthalmia, and among S3l girls
siXty-nve cases, making Il total of 2i.5
per cent In the lavatories a few roller
towels hung IN the wall, and these
were used by the children indiscrimi-
In an asylum of 1872 children only III
had sore eyes. or li.2 per cent. There
were twenty-five roller towels. which
the attendant said were changed three
times n week. In an asylum OF $40,
where there were no basins. the chill
day at spigots in the bathroom. There
We're sixty roller-towels and only Il
cases of sore eyes.
Hacker Grows the Record
one asylum of 45l boys had 2Oi cases.
OF 20 toddlers under three years, n had
sore eyes. With these II was the prac-
tlce OF the nurse to Keep two towels,
one for the well II one for the bad
eyes. In an asylum of lGi girls, so cases
OF serious contagious eye trouble were
found. one. "A mite Of four years, was
sent to the inhrmary for treatment.
She had acute granular ophthalma. The
mother stated that her child had good
eyes when she entered the asylum a
ycnr before, but only one eye could be
saved by the surgeons.
In an asylum of lOi tots the children
had the luxury OF an individual comb,
brush, tooth brush and towel. The
towels were changed twice a week.
The percentage OF sore eyes was only
81, or six In 100,
and Ear lnfirmary, the children with
sore eyes are q~uarantincd. Basins and
roller-towel are discouraged Outdoor
exercise Is compulsory, and the privileges
OF the institution are ut their
Last wear the current expenses were