Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1914-06-11
Blindness Of
Infants PreVentable
(By Helen Keller, in the Kansas
City Starr

Ophthalmia neonatorum is ven
ereal infection. OF the 10000 blind
people in this country, at least 25
per cent have lost their sight through
this infection. 1t is a specific germ,
contracted in cohabiting with prosti
tutes, which the mother has received
from contact with her husband previ-
Gus to the birth of her child. Many
men are tainted with this infection.
We now know that this "folly of
youth" puts out the eyes of innocent
babies. Not only is the infected faith
er the cause of disaster to his child,
he also, in countless cases, makes his
wife a lifelong invalid. Physicians
say that 80 per cent of the operations
performed on the maternal organs
are traceable to the same cause. The
cruelest link in the chain of conse-
quences is the innocent agency of the
mother in the destruction of her
babys beautiful eyes and the unmer-
tied suffering entailed upon her.
1t is pity when things that bring
such terrible consequences to the
children of men may not be discussed
in the public prints for fear of Of
Tending somebody's modesty. We
shudder at the mere mention of the
dread disease, but we keep on build
ing hospitals and asylums for the
blind, the deaf, the feebleminded,
and when we look upon these monu-
ments to our shame our sensibilities
are not shocked.
Publicity, education, knowledge
will do much to lessen the evils re-
sulting from venereal infection Most
men do not sin wantonly. / firmly
believe that the majority of mankind
wish to be decent toward their off
spring, that they earnestly desire to
bring into the world physically. and
mentally sound children. They must
know the truth if their hearts desire
is to be fulfilled. .... ..,q
How Sight May BE Saved.
Opthalmia neonatorum appears in
the baby's eyes at birth, causing 8
peculiar redness that cannot be. mis-
taken. From that moment its erue
work goes forward swiftly, and. by
the third day the childs precious
sight is gone forever. 1t has beer
known for more than twenty-fiyt
years that this disease is preventa
BILE, but this knowledge has been KEEP
almost exclusively as the possession
of physicians. No attempt has beer
made until recently to educate the
people about it's cause and the rem
edy to be applied. Physicians them
selves have been criminally careless
in this matter. However, they ar,
waking up to their responsibility
The child-loving people of the worlC
have sounded the alarm, and a deter
mined fight is beginning to put al
end to this appalling waste of human
faculties.
A number of states and societie
are directing their attention to tn
prevention of infantile blindness
They are distributing literature OF
the subject and supplying the silve
nitrate solution free, with printe,
directions how to use it, Massachu
setts Is making statewide effor
to stamp out ophthalmia neontorum
The Sage Foundation is also doini
splendid work, collecting valuable in
formation about this disease, gettin
sanitary laws passed and seeing tha
the laws which already exist are en-
forced.
There should be a law in ever
state heavily filming or imprisonin
physicians who cannot show tina
they have used silver nitrate in tn
eyes of every baby born under thei
care, and that they have reported a.
cases of ophthhalmia neonatorun
This law has been in force in Franc
for years.
Perhaps I ought to say wor
about the remedy itself 1t consist
of a silver nitrate solution. 1t
simple, easy of application and effeC
! tive in practically all cases where
is used promptly after the birth c
the child. The frightful progress c
the disease makes it very importar
= to have the remedy Immediately az
: cessible.
/ Delay means partial or total blind
3 ness. In Massachusetts CAREFUL
t sealed packages containing the 81
= yer nitrate solution, a dropper an
t leaflet with directions are place
3 free in every drug store in every cit
!. and town of the commonwealth.
e is high time that every state in tn
t Union followed the example of Massi
chusetts.
Robert Wagner is now in Fol