The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1910-02-08
Work OF Helen Keller
To PreDe1f Blindness
Though Blind Herself She Has Wdged Campaign That is
Having Far Reaching Results.


other deaf people, She speaks Eng
Iish French and German.
But Helen Keller has been deprived
of two senses, and the vastly most
important two. The only avenue to
her brain, as concerns language, is
through the sense of touch, and this
has been developed to the highest de-
gree.
Unfortunately, the diseases that
work such havoc as deafness and
blindness often leave the brain be-
low par. Also, very often, the COM
mencement Of instruction is delayed
too long. Neither was true in the
and came into the maturity of her
splendid brain her heart turned to-
ward her. fellow beings, and her first
thought was of the other blind peo-
pie, infinitely less afflicted than she.
Even as a small child she was always
most solcitious about the little blind
girls" in the Perkins Institution
Then the fight began. She once
said to Joseph Jefferson, II never fight
except against difficulties" Here was
a difficulty indeed, and she fought and
won.
Forgetting herself and her own af-
flictions, she began to interest others
in the cause of the babies that lose
their sight, and who she knew could
be saved from this unnecessary life
suffering. For, as she says, SILENCE
sits immense upon my soul. Then
comes hope with smile and whispers
There is joy in self-forgetfulness ="
BY strenuous individual work on her
part, private and public, lay and pro-
fessional interest was aroused. The
following strong plea from her pen
has been frequently quoted:
In order that this pitiable condi,
ton be not allowed to continue, two
things should be done at once A cam
paign of education should be inaugu-
rated, and every eXpectaDt mother
should be made acquainted with the
peril which may threaten her child
SO that she may insist that it be pro-
tected
Then the state should freely and
gratuitously place in the hands of
every accouncheur an aseptic silver
solution that carries with it the as
medical authority as to its necessity,
it's purity and its safety
In order that necessary and uni
form legislation be secured in every
state efforts must be made. The
it. In every class of society the wo-
men should know of the cause and
dangers of this disease" There fol-
lowed literal awakening.
The New York Association for the
Blind secured money enough to ena-
bile committee to carry on the work
of prevention in the state. A CON-
mission was appointed by the New
York legislature to investigate the
condition of the blind in the state, and
reported a large amount of unneces-
sary blindness resulting from the neg
lect of newborn infants eyes.
Then came the report of the COM
mittee of the American Public Health
Association on ophthalmia neonato-
rum and it's prevention, as a result of
which the New York State Depart
ment of Health has gone into and
systematized the. details and tech
nique of the prophylaxis and treat
ment most thorouGhly.
A few months ago every physician
in the state received a circular letter
giving information as to Ophthalmia
neonatorum and asking the practition-
er to sign pledge to give the silver
solution treatment to every newborn
infant eyes in his practice, and to
disseminate the information contained
among all having ITO do with newly
born children.
And now has come the GROWING
achievement in this campaign of sight
saving.
The state department Of health is
furnishing the prophylactic solution
recognized as an almost certain pre-
ventive agent for this disease under
the following conditions: Outfits have
ncaan llrnnarad noy1f lining q small vial
holding an amount of one per cent
solution of nitrate Of silver sufficient
for use on one newborn child, a ster-
ilized dropper and bulb especially
adapted for making the application