The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-11-13
SIGHT GIVEN TO ONE BORN
BLIND.

| The Surprise OF a Woman Who Wa!
First Able to See at the Age o.
Twenty Nine.
| A few days ago Miss Alberta McKin
| ME looked out Of the windows of the
suggestion room at the Eye and Eal
| Infrmary and burst into tears. Other
patients have looked from the windows
of the infirmary and shed tears caused
by suffering. But Miss Mckenzie wept
| for pure Joy, and she praised God and
DR.. Holt alternately. Small wonder
that she did. for upon her has been
wrought truly modern miracle. Blind
since birth, the achievements Of modern
science have given the sight that for
twenty mine years have been denied
hr.
Miss McKinnie belongs in Rockland,
and she was born blind. Over each eye
congenital cataract obscured the vi
sion. She lived with relatives who
clothed and fed her. One day a stran-
ger saw Miss McKinnie and looked at
her eyes. He told her that he believed
IL she would go to the Eye and Ear In
Urinary an operation might be per-
formed that would enable her to see,
IL
lous. But hope found Judgment In Miss
McKinnie's breast, and her one thought
was to come to Portland The Rev.
Mr.. Woodman Of Rockland interested
himself in her, and she was sent here
for treatment.
1t is delicate and peculiar operation
that DR.. Holt performed upon Miss Nc
Kinnie when he removed two congeM-
tai cataracts. 1t Is an operation that Is
usually unsatisfactory. A white sub
stance, which was about the color of
milk and the consistency of butter, was
spread over each pupil. 1t could not be
removed by cutting away like hard
substance. Instead It had to be stirred
up, SO to speak, and then the doctor
trusted In a great measure to absorb
ton to remove It,
For fourteen weeks the patient has
been at the infrmary. The operation
has been performed by easy stages for
the purpose OF watching and studying
each change. Little by little the milky
cataracts disappeared until now but a
small white speck remains on each eye,
and 1t Is thought that these will disap-
pear in time. In all probability anoth-
er slight operation will be performed to
correct slight crossed effect that APP
pears in the restored organs.
When the final operation was per-
formed the eyes were bandaged and
GRATEFULLY kept from the light for seve-
raj days When they were strong
enough to be fitted with glasses 1t was
a difficult task to find just the kind that
she needed. but 1t was finally accom-
plished DR. Little placed them on Miss
McKinnie and led her to the window for
the first time.
1t was almost like being born into a
new world for Miss McKinnie. OF
course a good many things she had
general idea of through hearing people
talk about them.
Directly opposite the infirmary man
was walking about on the fiat roof Of
a house. 1t was the first object her eyes
rested upon. what is it?" asked DR..
Little. ut must be a man." she an
swered. SO on, one by one. different OBJ
jects were pointed out and she was
asked to tell what they were. A man
with pail went by. She said she
thought that must be pail because she
had felt of one while she was blind.
Just then dog went by in the street.
She stared in establishment and then
cried aloud: ooh, is that a dog? I
never imagined it looked like that"
Trees were mystery to her. Their
spreading limbs and autumn-tinted TO-
iage held her spell-bound, She had
never seen colors before. Electric cars
we're wonderful thing, as was the
electric light. She could not under
stand the power that was back Of them.
When, asked what her feelings were
when she first found out that she could
;ee she replied: "Well. don't know as
I can tell you. My eyes seemed to be
swimming in water and I thought I
vas looking at a lake. This mist slow
y cleared away, and then I saw the |
ACE of DR.. Holt. Oh, it was the first |
ACE had ever seen, and he Is the best
nan in the world! / shall bless him I'M |
il my dying day." !
When asked if she had been out she |
'aid:
"Oh, yes, several times. I can't de- |
cribe to you my sensations. I have |
een so much that is beautiful and I |
ng to read now and have got SO can |
lick quite a good deal out of newspa- |
,er l have read some by means of the
aised letters provided Dor blind folks, /
o it hasn't been so hard to learn the
etters in print If could stay here
orever l would be perfectly happy"
While similar operations have been
it is seldom that they result |
o successfully as this one. To give an
dea of just what her sight now is, 1t |
nay be said that ten-tenths represents
he normal or perfect vision. Miss Nc |
<innie can see four tenths. With the |
lasses that have been fitted to her
yes she will be able to see better than |
AMY persons who have always seen,
ut who have such affections as near
ightedness, &c. She will be able to
cad, and even now she says she can