The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-07-14
FOR CRUSADE To
FIGHT BLINDNESS
A Way of Prevention Is Set
Forth To Lessen Number
of Afflicted
BY JOHN T.. RAY,
Principal State school For The Blind.
Raleigh, y. e.

One OF the most distressing misfor-
tunes which can befall a person = 10
lose ones sight. The large Number
Of this class Of our citizens IA very
great-one hundred thousand in
America alone. There are nearly TWO
thousand in North Carolina
The question naturally arises IL
there any means 10 prevent this Can
anything he done 10 lessen the num-
Der OF those thus afflicted Not many
can be fully and entirely relieved or
cured. BY skillful operations a few
can secure at least partial relief hut
the vast majority are doomed TO a lie
OF physical darkness. What then, can
be done to lessen the evil?
Prevention.
It is much more easy To prevent an
Pevil thai to cure. or eradicate ii. Who
can stay the vag of the White
Plague" who stop the progress of ty-
phoid, malaria. or yellow fever? The
only hope IS in preventing them 50
with blindness. Well. how?
Let us consider some Of the most
| prolihc causes Of blindness. The sta
tistics gathered by the authorities Of
the State School for the Blind NJ Raj
eigh show that of the 4o4 students
enrolled during the biennial period
1910-19l2, thirty became blind by
accident; ~seVenty-five were born blind
(~cOngenital): ninety-three are blind
from opIllltdiIuld llttlldtOlU II tbiAiAh
ness of the NEWBORN. and ninety
nine from causes not named. The
question occurs: Are any Of these pre-
ventable2 Yes: many of them. II
parents had kept fron~ their babies
sharp-pointed Instruments or objects
scissors, knives, pencils. sticks. etc.
and explosives. many of their chill
dren would now possess sight. IL
fewer cousins had married. il fewer
cOngenitally blind persons. the num-
Der would have been decreased con-
siderably. And il the eyes of every
} newborn baby had received proper
~attention within twenty-four hours af-
ter its birth; if they had been thor
oughly washes in a pollution Of boracic
acid, and then one drop OF u onc-per-
cent solution of silver nitrate had been
put in each eye. at least o~ne-four1h
l Of all these children would now have
: normal sight.
. These latter are the offspring Of pa
rents at least one of whom has led an
t impure life. or has come III contact
y with some one who has. In this day
I then, Of germ theories, and germ
transmission. would it not be wise
d that the eyes of every child. however
pure and clean may have been thu
habits Of its parents, should receive
such care and treatment? Properl,
treated there can be no danger; neg
= lected, no one knows what may re-
, suit.
And the treatment will cost no
Il more than ten cents and require onl.
a few moments of time. Is it no
worth the time? And yet | wish t
l. throw out one warning. raise on
danger signal. Never should a stEOn
# ger solution of silver nitrate be use
than one per cent And never shoul'
a midwife. nurse, nor even a gener
practitioner undertake to prepare tn
le prophylactic. This has been donc b
the Experts in the profession and ca
be secured from any we'll equippe,
20 drug store in such quantity and shap
/ as to render a mistake almost i'm
t. possible. The little ampules contai
is two small receptacles, each containin
lie eight drops, these ampules being her
N metically sealed and the light entirel
X excluded. They are also dated, SO q
Or to insuye against age and deteriora
TT ton, and may be exchanged for me-
he ones. if not used within the prescribe
- period.
+ I have not referred in the above I
ar trachoma formulated Iids.D This is
Re most painful and distressing disca>
d. of the eye, and there seems To be n
Is. known remedy And ii is also veT
til contagious. Only recently an epidern.
- of trachoma has broken out in certai
ne counties in southwest Virginia. and
IL West Virginia. At last accounts thel
r were -four hundred and fifty cases
We this frightful malady. Is there no r
lief for those thus afflicted? I~solatio
he should be pfacticed in the most strif
til gent form.