The Nevada County picayune., 1917-06-21
BLINDNESS WORST
 IN EARLIER YEARS
Government Report Shows Larg- est Number Lose Sight When
 Five Years Old.
MEANS LIFE OF REFLECTION
increase in Number of Adults Affect ed in Recent Years Ascribed in Part to industrial Growth of
 Country.

Country.
 A report on the blind in the Unit ed States made by Director Sam l.. Rogers of Uncle Sans bureau of the census, indicates that 3O.S per cent, or somewhat less than one-third of the blind population lost their sight when less than twenty years of age Uncluding those born blind) 47.4 per cent, or somewhat less than one-half, during the early or middle years Of adult life Grom twenty to SixtE-four years) and 21.S per cent, or little over one-fifth, in old age (after pass ing their sixty-fifth year). More per sons were reported as having lost their sight when less than five years of age than in any other tive-year pc riod of life, 16.4 per cent, or about one-sixth, of the total being included in this group; persons reported as born blind formed SC per cent of the total and persons reported aS losing sight when less than one year old per cent, these two groups together contributing 11.6 per cent, or more than one-tenth, of those reporting the age when vision was lost.
 These statistics are based on an enumeration of the blind made in connection with the census of 1910. The blind population enumerated was 57.272, and by sending out special schedules through the mails the bu reau obtained data regarding such subjects as the cause of the blindness and the age when it occurred from %, ,242 blind persons.
 Significance of the Statistics.
 The fact that the 3oO00 blind rep resented in the returns had on the average been blind for 1G years makes plain the gravity of this misfortune, says the report. Although the risk of blindness in infancy, childhood, or youth Is relatively small yet, as shown by these figures. the complete elimination of that risk would reduce the blind population by nearly one- third. Similarly the elimination of the risk Of blindness during the carly or middle yeurS of adult life would reduce the blind population by nearly one-half, while the elimination of the high risk in old age would cause q re- duction of only one-ffth in the num- Der of existing cases. of course, the earlier the age at which the sight iS lost, the greater the magnitude of the misfortune: loss of sight in infancy means a life of blindness, while loss of sight in old age ordinarily means only few years of that afIliction. For this reason the increase in individual ! happiness and the benefits to society in general that would accrue from successful campaign against blindness l in early life would obviously be vast ] " greater than would result from | corresponding reduction in the blind ness occurring in old age. In this l connection 1t is significant that since l 1880 there has been distinct de- l crease In the proportion of blind who lost their sight in infancy. In 1880 1 persons who became blind before com l pleting their first year of life formed l I5.3 per cent of the total reporting, as i compared with only 11.6 per cent in i 1910
 Increase of occupational Blindness.
 The proportion of the blind who lost their sight during the early or middle years of adult life has in- i creased somewhat since 1SSO It ts ! probable that this increase is in part i the result of the great industrial Er0wth of the United States in the i last 30 years, which would naturally i bring in it's train an increase in the number of cases of blindness due to occupational injury or disease, and hence in the number occurring dur ing the years of economic activity. A much larger proportion of males than of females lost their sight in the early or middle years of adult life (t-Tenty to sixty-fOur years of age). the percentage for males being 5l.4, or more than one-half, as compared with percentage of HIS, or about tw0-ffths, for females. This marked difference with regard to the period of life when loss of sight occurred Is of course the result in the main of the cases of blindness from industrial accidents or occupatlonal diseases.