Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1906-07-09
More Than Eighty Thousand
Americans Are Deaf
REMARKABLE STATISTICS JUST
ISSUED BY CENSUS BUREAU
Deafness More Common in Northern
Than Southern States and Negroes
Less Susceptible Than Whites.

Washington, July S.--About one
person in every 1900 hundred was
blind and one in every $50 persons
was deaf in the United States in
1900, according to special census
report on the blind and deaf in the
United States in that year, just iss-
ued by the census bureau. The in
quiry was conducted under the di-
rection of DR.. Alexander Graham
Bell, who determined the scope of
the investigation and wrote the text
of the report on the deaf. The total
number of blind in the United States
in 1900 was 64,763, of whom 1886
were totally blind and 29,118 partl-
ally blind.
These figures, however. the report
says. can be only considered as the
minimum, as an unknown proportion
of the blind were not located by the
enumerators. OF the total blind.
1864 were males and 27,709 fe.
males.
Deafness on the whole, the report
says, Is more common in the northern
part of the United States than in the
southern, and there are more deaf
males than females. The total num-
ber of deaf in the United States IL
given as S9,2S7, of whom 37,426 were
totally deaf and 51,S61 were partially
deaf. From the latter classes ara
eliminated those who are merely
hard of hearing" OF the totally
deaf 52.5 per cent were males. Me-
groes constitute 11.6 per cent of the
general population and only 5.2 per
cent of deaf.
That the negroes seem less suscep-
tible to deafness than the whites, the
report says, Is particularly due In
part to the less complete returns from
the negro deaf.
The report on the blind gives not
only data concerning color, sex, ma
tivity marital condition, school at
tendance, and occupations, but also
much information in regard to the
age when blindness occurred and the
causes of blindness.
The total number of blind persons
In the United States in 1900 was Ca
7G3-or about one in every 1900 of
the total population. There were
5,645 totally blind, and 29,1I8 par
TALLY blind. The number OF partl-
ally blind by no means represents the
facts as to defective eyeslght, but
represents only verified" cases.
More Blind Males Than Females.
OF the total number of blind, 37,-
O54, or 57.2 per cent, were males.
and 27,709, or 42.8 per cent, were
females. Since In the general popu-
lation only 51.1 per cent were males
and 4S.9 per cent were females, it
Is evident that blindness occurs more
frequently among males.
About SO per cent of the blind re-
ported were totally blind. and about
45 per cent were partially blind. 4
slightly smaller proportion OF blind
males than of blind females were to-
tally blind.
Blindness More Common In Adults.
Almost 65 per cent of the blind
became blind after 20 years OF age,
and only little more than 80 per
cent before 20 years. Thus II IL seen
that blindness Is chiefly a defect of
adult life. 1t Is interesting to note
that about one-fourth of the persons
blind from childhood. or about one
| tenth of the total number OF blind.
were born blind.
The number OF blind per 100, 900
| of population was greater among the
negroes than among the whites, and
greater among the foreign born
whites than the native whites, the
difference in each case being more
marked for the totally blind than for
the partially blind. The differences
In the proportions for the native and
the foreign born whites are due very
| largely to the difference In the age
distribution of the two classes the
great majority of the foreign born
whites being adults among whom
| blindness Is more common.
Leading Causes of blindness.
The most important causes OF
blindness were cataract; injuries, ac-
cidents, and operations; eongenltal
blindness; old age; and sore eyes.
Unknown causes were responsible for
a slightly greater proportion OF cases
than any of the above causes.
The principal causes of blindness
occurring after birth and under 20
years of age. injuries. accidents, and
operations; sore eyes; catarrh; meas
les; and scrofula. The principal
causes of blindness occurring In adult
life were cataract; injuries, accident.
and operations; old age; affections
of the nervous system; military serv.
Ice; sore eyes; and neuralgia.
COnsaDguinlty of Parents.
In about per cent of the cases
of blindness reported the parents ai
the blind were related as cousins
OF the blind whose parents we're sC
related 25 per cent were oongenltall,
blind. while among the blind whose
parents were not cousins, the pro.
portion congenitally blind was onl,
6.S per cent.
or the blind at least 10 years oi
age, 20 per cent were engaged n
some gainful occupation. as compared
with 5O.2 per cent among the genera
population. The partially blind as
would be expected. show a larger
proportion gainfully employed thar
do the totally blind. The percentage
OF persons engaged in professonA
pursuits. trade and transportation
and In manufacturing and mechani
cal Industries Is larger among the to
tally blind than among the genera
population. In these three clasEe
Of occupation the totally blind shov
q higher percentage engaged than d
the partially blind. or the nnrtialt
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