The Cairo bulletin., 1912-06-10
MANY CHILDREN
BLIND THROUGH
CARFLFSSNESS
Condition is Due to Ignorance Of
Hygiene on Part Of At
tendants
BY CAROLYN VAN BLARC0M


,itiful problem TO modern philan-
rophv. 1t has a soul, It has
mind that conditions combine to
stunt. But the eye, through which
abyhood receives commonly per-
APPS nine-tenths of the impressions
hat mean the earliest education j,
lacking. One quarter OF the
elpless tots and larger children in
Their schools for the blind are DOOM
d to lifelong darkness because their
yes were not properly washed and
reated at their birth.
To many If not most of us the
lother with her new born baby,
new to earth and sky, the BEAM
ng-faced, white-capped nurse ana
he trained physician are trinity
closely associated with the arrival
the stork, that it is more than
lrprise to learn that about 80 per
emit of the births In this country
re known to be attended only by
lid-wiyes who for the most part are
irty, ignorant, unframed women.
gnorant of hygiene or of asepsis and
ntiseptics, but with confidence in
heir ability TO attend abnormal
2ses, malpractice by sfovenly and
lreless midwiyes is responsible not
or large portion of the instances
t unnecessary blindness but also for
cath and mental and physical de-
eneracy OF children and much I'M
9ecessary death and invalidism of
lothers as we'll. These women ex-
rcising the functions of both doc
or and nurse are allowed except in
; very few localities to follow their
afling unsupervised and unrestrict-
ID. In thirty-three of the forty
line states and territories there is
10 law restraining the practice of
midwifery while in three, Georgia.
tlabama and Mississippi. midwives
ire actually allowed by law TO prac-
Ice unrestricted
So far as we are able to learn the
nited States OF America is the only
civilized country in the world in
hich the life and health and future
ell being for mothers and infants
e not safeguarded so far as posi-
lie through the training and control
II midwiEes. In other enlightened
onntrys this has been a national
question, since the conservation of
The health and life of babies and
MOTHERS Is felt to be of national i'm
ortance.
That midwifery is logical work for
trained nurses has been recognized
10Th by the lay and by the medical
public in England, Australia and
New Iceland In these countrvs the
midwife is very commonly a trained
'urse, officially supervised and fire.
luently working in conjunction
with public health and philantrophic
lgencles for the purpose of prevent
ng infant mortality and blindness.
n addition to acting as midwife.
me gives her patients nursing care
nd secures for them adequate medi.
aal attention On the appearance of
ymptons of any complications.
In England where eleven years ago
midwifery situation was strongly an
Joyous to ours at the present time
ne problem was faced and met thro
On the establishment of the Central
itdwivcs Board by an act Of Par
lament IN 1902. The mldwives act
ofolds any woman not holding a
eFtiflcate issued by the Central
Nidwives Board to practice AZ a
midwife, In order to be examined
ana licensed by this board, a cadi.
iate must present diploma from a
recognized training school.
"hile 1t is not possible to reduce
me service England has received
rom trained midwifery to concrett
erms, 1t is significant that d,,rin,
he last nine years since the enact,
ment OF the midwiyes act. the nar
cehtage of deaths among infants i,
mat country has dropped from IL,
Der 1000 during 1901, to .f0s ma,
eoV In 1910. Although other cans
- have contributed it Is believed h,
english workers that the midwivo,
act must be rcckoned as one facto
n this decline.
by placing restrictions ON IN,
practice OF medicine and the practic
d nursing we are protecting oul,
me half the babies In this conntr,
rom blindness and other pcrman
eht injuries In New York state
vigorous effort has been made Il
fa'se the standard At the las
meeting Of the state Medical Soci
%'y lar2e portion or one session wa
1oNotnd to q discussion of tho way
and means Of remedying the evils O
ee uncontrolled practice of mid