The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1917-12-15
PEOPLE LOOKED UP,
LOST THEIR EYES
DR.. Mackenzie Tells Why Halifax Ex-
plosion Wholly or Partially
Blinded Many Persons.

bOSION, Dec. 10.-Wne the rum
blings before the explosion were felt
in Halifax last week, many of the in
habitants, fearing a Zeppelin raid,
rushed to the windows and looked up
at the sky. The result was that when
the explosion came, many of them got
the full force of the conclusion in their
eyes, and therefore third Of the
people who were injured have lost
their eyesight wholly or partially, or
have sustained eye injuries.
DR.. Jack received the despatch Sat
urday afternoon at five o o'clock, and
on the 100 train from Boston to Hall
fax went DR.. Mackenzie of the Massa
chusetts Charitable Eye and Ear in
Urinary, and DR.. Goodall, house of
fcer of that institution Later, four
nurses and DR.. Stevens of the infrm
airy staff went to Halifax.
The conditions, as DR.. Mackenzie
( found them in Halifax, are outlined In
the following letter which he has sent
! to DR.. Walker of the infrmary:
"Ihirty-six hours without sleep, and
my shoes not off, but nevertheless /
must write and what they were up
against-one eye man in Halifax to
! treat thousands of injured.
! ''Of the thousands hurt, approx
mately one-third are eye injuries and
the physical disabilities of this catas-
trophe will be felt in the future more
than thos, of any other in the history
I Of the world, and for this reason. For
long time the people of Halifax have
been constantly on guard against the
possibilities of bombardment from the
sea or by Zeppelins. Even here in our
hotel room is big sign warning us
/ to pull all window shades the minute
( the lights are started, and a penalty
of $1,000 is imposed upon those who re
fuse to do SOY
"Halifax has had the idea of an air
attack, and therefore when rumbling
was heard and vast clouds of dark
smoke were seen last Thursday morn
ing, thousands ran to their windows
and looked up in the air. Then came
the explosion, which shattered nearly
every window right in their faces So
it is that at other hospitals and at
the Victoria General, the Children s
hospital and The Blind Institute, where
DR.. Goodall and l are working, more
than third of the cases are eye cuts.
tDr. Mather, who sent for Us,
worked alone for three days, before we
arrived, without even wink of sleep
He did more than Is enucleations (cut
ting out the eveball) and evisceratiens
some of these in an operating room
with the snow blowing in on the pa
tient and himself. No wonder that wt
found him physical wreck.
Il Immediately took full response
bility, for he surely was no longer
capable, and he wished me to. | went
over, personally examining about -;
eye eases, in the Victoria General hos
pital and sent DIR. Goodall with a New
r ton hospital nurse, who came on thu
train with us, TO look over the Chill
dren g and the Blind hospitals, We al
, worked necessarily for several hours
and then, after a few bites, begaI
, operating. When ! had a chance t
! see Dr.. Mather again, he agreed witt
me that there is need for fresh nurses
{ and particularly those capable OF treat
ing eve eases, many Of which are ex
: ceedingly serious We have begun t
, systematic things, and are gathering
, all the eye cases together, with tn
! idea of saving time and energy for al
4 concerned. DR. Stevens came today an
q he and DR.. Crosby are looking afte
:, several of the smaller places.
90 Halifax is a wreck. Even newspa
per reports cannot truly portray condi
y, tons. Relief has come very promptly
!. and is coming every day So Their
:. seems to be plenty to eat and plent
V of ordinary supplies; and help in som
:. lines is plentiful.
. This Is hastily written, and wit
;. eyes half closed. The chance to wor
- here IS surely the greatest opportunit
q We have ever had and / regret tina
- we couldn t have come sooner.