The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1915-07-03
57,272 BLIND PEOPLE
IN UNITED STATES
There Has Been Decrease Among the
Youngest Glasses of Population in
Half Century.

L
States in 1910 numbered 57,272, or so.
to each 100000 OF the total population il
that year Blindness is less common j
America than in most other countries
il has apparently decreased among tn
youngest classes of the population in tn
last half century; it is more preyalen
among men than among women; it 4
very much more prevalent among In
dians, and considerably more prevalent
among negroes than among whites
Trades targht in schools or workshops
for the blind have equipped more thar
l,500 blind persons for total OF partia
self support.
These are some Of the facts brought
out in a bulletin, "The Blind Population
OF the United States, 1910" recently is.
sued by Director Sam. l.. Rogers of the
bureau of the census, department of com.
merce, and prepared under the direction
of DIR. Joseph A. Hill, expert special
agent in charge of revision and results
Blindness in Foreign Countries.
The total number of blind persons in
the world is roughly estimated at $780,
000 The total number enumerated at
the most recent censuses of the blind in
all countries in which such censuses have
| been taken is I,l94,346. These countries
! represent all OF Australia, nearly all of
| Europe and North America, and portions
| of South America, Africa and Asia, tos
gether with certain of the insular pos
sessions of European and American conn
@,,a ,4,so
in which the ratios OF the blind to the
total population are lower than that for
the United States 1928 per 100000 are
Canada, where the ratio was 40 per
100000 in 1911; Belgium, where il was
1875 in 1910; Denmark, 52.7 in 1911; Ger
many, 900 in 1900; Netherlands, 46.3 in
1909; New South Wales, GA in 1911;
western Australia, 503 in 1911; and New
Zealand, AIS in 1911.
Where Blindness is Most Prevalent.
In the United States blindness is most
prevalent in New Mexico and Nevada, in
which states the ratios of blind to total
population in 1910 were 1898 to 100000
and 1855 TO 100000 respectively. The
high ratios for these states are due to
the fact that Indians, among whom ira
choma (granulated eyelidsl is OF fire.
quent occurrence in those sections of the
country, constitute relatively large ele-
ments in their population. In Arizona,
Kentucky, Tennessee and Vermont the
$40, respectively. The relatively large
Indian population Of Arizona is respon
sible for the high ratio in that state;
trachoma is prevalent in certain parts
of Kentucky and Tennessee; and in Yer
mont there are relatively more people I
of advanced ages than in other parts of (
the country, to which fact is doubtless
due the high ratio for that state, since
susceptibility to blindness increases with
advancing age.
Sex, Age and Marital Condition.
IN 1850 and at every succeeding census
the proportion blind has been greater
among males than among females, In
1910 the ratio OF males TO females among
the blind population was 1907 to 100,
whereas in the total population the CORE.
spending ratio was JOG 70 100. In the
majority OF foreign countries a similar
exists.
Although blindness NAV occur at any
lime of life. il is peculiarly defect in
.ident to old age. In fact, approximately
,ne- half-49.4 per eent.--of the blind
population reported In 1910 were 90 years
II age and over. whereas only about one
ifteenth-6.s per cent.---of the total poi. ,
llation were 90 years Of age and over. ,
70 make the comparison in another way
The modian age OF the total population
n 1910 was PAP years-that Is. one half !,
he population were under that age and
he other half had passed it-while the
nedian age OF the blind population was
e.6 years, or nearly two and one-half I
lines as great. Among children under
We years. only five in every 100 900 were 4
lind; but among persons IS years OF
&c and over, 2,575 IN 100000 were blind. 4.
with earlier censuses indi-
ate that there has been a decrease in !,
be prevalence Of blindness among the i
ounger classes Of the population. !
Race and Nativity p
Among native whites. the number Of Z
lind persons per 100000 population OF
be same race and nativity was only IS, Z
.hereas for the total population the "a y
- va ~ " AN'f'f's \ ht WITS FNtAAr
u ratios for other elements Of the pop. .
lation were; Foreign.born whites. 74.5 .
, 100000; negroes. 90 TO 1000 600; In e
ans, 302.8 20 10000; Chinese, Japanese =
nd ali other non-whites, 232 TO 100000 I.
he fact that blindness il mere com. :
ION among forcign.born whites than n
mong native whites is. however. 10 the
Ict that the former class contains rela II
vely more people Of advanced age than n
les the latter. When the comparison
confined 20 persons Of the same age.
Ie lower ratio l. invariably found among
. foreign born whites. The remarkably II
"a ratio for Indians Is due 20 the prev
ence 81 traehoma lgranulated eyslidsl II
Indian reservations The low ratios