The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1915-08-17
FIND 2,39O,OOO BLIND
IN A WORLD CENSUS
High Rate of 62.3 to Each 100 ono j.,
United States Due To T~rachon,.
Among the Indians

y AoNto IcSdEullS the DIlnd /!
population of the United States are
Dug out in a bulletin just issued
ny director Sam l. Rogers of the Fed
eral Bureau of the Census and pre-
pared under the direction Of DR..
Joseph A. Hill, expert special agent in
charge Of revision and results, says
the New York Times. The statistics
Just made public are for 1910, and |
snow that in that year blind persons
IN their country numbered 57,272, or
62.3 to each 100, 900 of the total DOB
ulatlon in that year.
In fact, it has apparently decreased
among the youngest classes Of the
population in the last half century.
n revelation is made that the at
Fiction is more prevalent among men
than among women, and very much
more prevalent among Indians, and
considerably more cOmmOn among
negroes than among whites. The in
VestigatiOn conducted by the census
agents shows that trades taught in
schOols or workshops for the blind
have equipped more tina 1900 blind
persons for total or partial self-sup-
port.
The total number OF blind persons
in the world is roughly estimated at
2,39O,OO0. The total number en-
umerated at the most recent censuses
Of the blind in all countries where
such have been taken is L.
1a4,346. These countries represent all
of Australia, nearly all of Europe and
North America, and parts Of South
America, Africa and Asia, together
with certain of the inSular possessions
of European and American countries.
The countries and provinces in which
the ratio Of the blind to the total
population is lower than that for the
United States or Canada, where the
ratio was 44.9 per 100000 in 1911;
Belgium, where it was ABS in 1910;
Denmark, 52.7 in 1911; Germany,
500 in 1900; Netherlands, 46.3 in
1909; New South Wales, 61.4 in 1911;
Western Australia, 500 in 1911 and
New Zealand, ATS in 1911.
The census enumeratOrs found hat
in the United States blindness is most
prevalent in New Mexico and Nevada,
in which the ratio of the blind to
total population in 1910 was 1893 to
10000 and 1855 to 100000. 1t is
explained hat the high ratios foI
these States were due to the fact that
Indians, among whom trachoma is OF
frequent occurrence, constitute rela-
lively large elements in their popula-
ton.
In Arizona, Kentucky and Tennes.
see, and Vermont the ratios are also
high-95.9, 94.5, S9.5, and S4.6. respec.
: lively. The relatively large Indiar
population of Arizona is responsible fol
, the high ratio in that State; tracho'
: ma is prevalent in certain parts o:
Kentucky and Tennessee, while thu
, reason assigned for the high ratio il
, Vermont is the longevity Of it's pOu
t lation. Relative to the latter State
the epOrt says:
n "In Vermont there are rclativel,
more persons OF advanced ages thar
: in other parts of'the country, to Whicl
fact is doubtless due h high ratio
e for that State, since susceptibility t.
blindness increase with advancln:
: age"
r The report says that the fact tina
b blindness is more common anon:
d fOreign-born whites than among ma
d tive whites is, however, due to the fac
n that the former class contains rela
Y lively more people Of advanced ag
d than dOes the latter.
Much space is devoted to the occu
pations of the blind. 1t is shown tina
Of the 31,473 blind males 10 year
of age and over in 1910 only 1879
or 25.3 per cent, were reported as be
l. ing gainfully employed, while Of tn
# $4,000 blind females Of 10 years Q
n more, only 1,345, or Sc per cent, wer
shown to be g~ainfully employed. Tn
l. corresponding percentages with ret
= erence to the total population Wer
S1.3 for males n 23.4 for female
On this point the census report says:
le 1T does not follow however, thu
70 more thar 5000 blind persons wer
i actually self-supporting, since in mos
! cases their earnings were far fror
J. sufficient to constitute a livelihood
and often amounted to a mere phi
20 lance of less han 500 a year.
\ should be borne in mind that a vel
Nv considerable proportion Of the bin
y population nave already passed tn
iage when retirement from active en-
plOyment usual occurs, so that tn
numbers Of blind persons reporting a
"a occupation does not by any means il
dicate the number of individuals To-
" to the working force Of the Unite
III States by reason Of blindness.
"Of the 1876 blind males reporte
70 as gainfully employed 1853, or % Pr
ey cent. were returned as farmers, 90
t. or S.5 per CENT, DIS pIoo!iiidhei
646, or 81 per cent, as musicians ar